Final Paper

So I am working on my final paper for IS 101 and having trouble with it. It shouldn't be that hard, since I am doing Michael Crichton's The Lost World, but I am having some difficulty finding some sources. My grade is sitting fine right now, but I want this paper to make me feel proud of my writing skills. I want this paper to be for me, and how much I have learned about Jurassic Park. The letter grade will be the letter grade and there's no getting around that, but I will be much more satisfied if I can tell myself that I gave it my all in this last, final paper. I'm reading over the sciences that I have to cover on the final project guide that my professor sent out, but Crichton doesn't talk a lot about genetic engineering in this book. Having said that, I don't want my professor to think that I am shirking my duties by not addressing it, instead I will discuss Crichton's stance on extinction and compliment that with his stance on evolution. Both sciences play a crucial role in his novel, and they are very interesting subjects. Crichton talks about behavior extinction, and that is very hard to research! I think I will just cite the book for behavior extinction and back that up with some general extinction facts from top notch sources. Since I am a creationist, researching evolution will be a fun task that will test my faith as well as make me grow as an open-minded, liberally educated person.

My Credo

About a week ago I wrote my two page paper about what I believe. A very general paper, but well worth the time and effort I put into it. I especially enjoyed the fact that we got to work with little restrictions, leaving us plenty room for creativity and self reflection. I thought about writing a paper, but that seemed too boring and I didn't know how to get my point across while trying to string together flowing sentences. As I thought about it more I looked closely at what type of person I am. As I thought about that more and more I decided that I am a person of statements, therefore my paper is full of statements of what I believe. Once i began my work it wasn't hard to come up with statements of what I believe. I thought of myself on a religious level and on a secular level, or what I thought incorporates me as a person in everyday life. I tied religion and everyday life together with what I thought was a neat representation of who I am and who I want to be. I looked to my family and the morals that I have been brought up with. I looked to my mentors and their important traits that I believe are virtuous. I thought to my friends, of whom I would give my life for. All of these people I looked to guidance for in my thoughts and in my feelings expressed in my credo paper.

The Lost World

I'm approximately 76 pages from finishing Michael Crichton's Lost World and loving it! The Lost World is one of my favorite movies of all time, and I was surprised how different it is compared to the book. The movie portrays Ian Malcolm as the main character, but the book almost dwarfs him when compared to Levine, the arrogant, rich, and quite annoying scientist. The setting takes place on Isla Sorna, a secret island controlled by Ingen and used as a dinosaur engineering facility. In short, Isla Sorna is Hammond's dirty little secret where many dinosaurs died as a result of testing. Rumors have spread that strange creatures are appearing on the chain of islands that Isla Sorna is found on, and Ian and company figure out which island it is. They travel there to rescue Levine, who on his own traveled there by himself to see the dinosaurs in person. Unfortunately for Levine, he runs into some velociraptors, a predator I would never want to come face to face with. In my final paper I will discuss some more science of the book, but I was surprised that genetic engineering isn't the main topic of the book. The focus appears to be on extinction and dinosaur behavior. An interesting topic that I wish to delve into further in my final paper.

Clinton 3 Table Tennis Tournament

This Thursday night at 8:30 Clinton 3 is hosting a table tennis tournament. There are 16 entrants and 7 star players. The prize is $50 to Walmart and bragging rights. Now, I'm not going to talk about how easily I will win this tournament, that would be arrogant of me. Instead, I am going to talk about how I would spend the $50 at Walmart. One thing is for sure, I am not going to spend it on myself. I will probably spend it on food or accessories for my dorm. I think that stacking up on desirable food items for myself and my two Josh friends would have healthy benefits. I have also contemplated buying Christmas decorations for my room so that we may look festive for the holiday season. I think that a large Christmas tree would look great in our window! Another idea I have for spending this gift card would be on Christmas presents for my family. My cousin Jeff needs his Wartburg shirt for Christmas day, my sister needs some Wartburg apparel, and my brother needs video games. I could save the money for a more appropriate occasion, but that wouldn't be as fun... I have also thought of selling the gift card for $50 cash and taking Josh and Josh out to eat at Applebee's! One thing is for certain, if I don't win this tournament, all of my practicing and nights of little sleep will have been for naught.

A Luther Rivalry

I have two cousins in my family that I look up to more than anyone else. Jeff Sansgaard and Andy Jolivette are my two favorite cousins, and are great guys that I have looked up to my whole life. They each went to Luther where Andy played basketball and Jeff played football for the Norse. I always thought I would go to Luther, but then I looked at Wartburg and for a while it was a tight race between the two schools. Obviously I chose Wartburg, so that didn't go over very well with Andy or Jeff. I never thought that I would end up hating Luther, a college that I respect and admire because of my cousins. The bitter dislike started for me at the IIAC Cross Country Championships this fall at Wartburg when Luther pretty much swept the conference race and blew out everyone else. It made me sick watching the blue and white uniforms standing on the podium and it only got worse when the chanting of Lu-Lu-Lu-Luther started up. I have now made bets with my cousins on Wartburg-Luther games and fortunately I won because we beat Luther in football. As a result of that game, Jeff has to wear a Wartburg shirt at Christmas and I will also provide him a sheet of music with Wartburg's fight song to sing before the table prayer at Christmas dinner :) I think this might be one of the best Christmas gatherings for a long time to come.

A Psychological Run

Today I went on a run that could possibly be the most taxing run on my mind that I have ever gone on. Many thoughts ran through my head, and more than often we were stopped and had to start up again along the way. We started off at my high school in Garner, and ran our way through town. It was really cold out and very taxing on my legs, as I was wearing shorts. I was running with my buddy Tyler and my brother Michael, both of who I respect as runners. Anyway, we ran through a part of town that is fairly new and dogs began to chase us! We slowed down and stopped and let the dogs sniff us for a while before their owner came out to talk to us for a while. We started up again just ten minutes into our run and continued our way through town for about 15 more minutes during which my brother got sick and had to turn around. Tyler and me then turned and ran down a very long road that is just straight out and back. There's something about running on a road that doesn't end for miles and is nothing but empty corn fields that is eerie. Not a scary eerie, the kind of eerie that you feel as if there is more to this life than you think. Seeing endless land just laying out before you makes one think of a more omnipresent presence out there. I like to think of it as a psychological run with God. An endless stretch of road where it is you, running, and a higher presence.

Faith and Wartburg

This blog is in regard to our discussion about faith on Wednesday.

I really enjoyed watching the Lutheran Song on Youtube and having a class discussion about Lutheranism and Wartburg. I thought a lot of people had many good things to say, and even though I didn't agree with everything that was said I thought as a whole my faith grew from the experience. I especially liked talking about how we perceive Wartburg as a "school of the church." The idea that Wartburg should be a school to challenge our faith more than nurture it was very eye opening to me. When I came to Wartburg I thought I would find many peers worshiping the same as me and as eager as me to test my faith in the "real world." That has not always been the case. My faith has been challenged as I am now responsible to worship on my own time and focus on what I want my faith to mean to me. I am faced with so many struggles everyday with how I want to live, and that helps me grow as a Christian. New temptations and sin come into my day all the time, and having strong faith helps me meet these challenges head on. I will further discuss this topic in my next paper about what I believe.

Erik

Table Tennis: A New Fad

Big chunks of my day are now laid out with one sole purpose, getting better at table tennis. Often referred to as ping pong, table tennis is a great sport and doesn't require a lot of sweating and running. Table tennis is a very inexpensive sport, paddles can cost anywhere from $5 to $50 and balls cost under $10 for a pack of six or more! More than usual I play with my pals Josh Hones and Josh Trueblood. Neither of them played much back in their respected towns, so I came into our games with a lot more field experience. I have a table back at home, and I utilized it very well. Although I usually beat up on both of them, they are getting better and our games last longer now. As Christmas presents we have even joked about getting each other new paddles! My first night at Wartburg I got beat by a person I should not have lost to. Since then I have attacked table tennis with a much needed enthusiasm that has led to many hours practicing my serves and backhands and endless nights on youtube watching professionals play each other. My knowledge has increased tremendously on this sport, and I feel that maybe someday I should enter a table tennis tournament. Even if that never happens, the memories of playing with some great friends will be beneficial for the rest of my life.

A "Heated" Debate

Today's debate on global warming in class got really heated! It was awesome to see a side of people that you don't usually see, and it was sometimes a little scary watching people tear each other apart. I enjoy debating immensely and for a while in high school I thought I wanted to be a lawyer when I grew up. I was involved in mock trial, my mom was the coach, and won two outstanding attorney awards in the two years I was involved in it. Although I get really nervous talking in front of crowds, thinking quickly on my feet is something I feel I specialize in. I'm the kind of guy that always wants my opinion to be right, and so I love tearing apart opponents, especially the opposing council in today's debate! I think it's the inner lawyer trying to get out. I'm going to change my major. I've already decided that being a Political Science major is probably the best fit for me. It matches up well with a history major as well, and possibly even law school??? Who knows... I guess I'm still stuck in this part of my life where I just want to keep running and playing my trumpet and gaining knowledge in my classes here at Wartburg. It's kind of scary when I think about it. I wish I could be one of those people that has their whole life figured out. But I guess I have to do what I do best, think quick on my feet :)

My dog Porgi

I have a dog named Porgi. She is a mix of a pug and a corgi, thus her name being Porgi. Since I left home I have missed her greatly and look forward with massive anticipation for the next week when I get to go home and play with her. My family got Porgi when I was ten years old. I still remember the first night she was with us she wouldn't stop whining and crying, so my dad stayed up all night with her and put her to sleep with some jazz music. Porgi is my dad's dog through and through, but I think that she is starting to miss me more and spends more time with me when I am home. Porgi's younger years were spend terrorizing my brother, sister, and me and all the neighborhood kids. She comes from a herding ancestry and is extremely good at nipping at the heels of people. Since then she has settled down quite a bit and has enjoyed countless days of naps and walks around our house ( we live on about a 4 acre yard in the middle of town ) Porgi's worst enemy is the word "downstairs" and whenever some says "downstairs" she will immediately begin to bark and start scratching the door to get to the basement. That is where her mortal enemy lies: the dreaded sump pump! It is hilarious to watch her growl at it and make sure that we stay away from it unless it might attack us as well. Porgi is getting old though. She has a bad hip and isn't much good for walks nowadays and she sleeps all the time. I will miss her when she leaves us and will spend as much time as I can with her before that day comes.

End of State of Fear

I just finished up State of Fear by Michael Crichton and loved it! What an excellent choice for a book about global warming, Mrs. Wright. What interested me the most was that Crichton used this book to express his opinions on global warming, his opinion being that he didn't really think that it was a major issue. I never thought that I would hear the day that I didn't think global warming was an issue anymore. That just doesn't sound like me! I wish I could be more environmentalist, but I'm kind of lazy and am just too busy all the time (sounds like a lot of bad excuses doesn't it...) Anyway, now that both sides of the issue have entered and gone through my brain analysis I have come to the conclusion that whatever Crichton says, I will believe. Haha! I have just come to respect Michael Crichton so much while reading his novels that his ideas just catch me and drag me along for the ride! For example, the ending of State of Fear really struck me that we need more groups to help support the impoverished people of the world and help give them food to stave off starvation. I believe there are bigger issues to address than global warming since all global warming is is a THEORY. State of Fear has drastically changed me outlook on global warming and in turn has made me more educated in this field of science. Thank you Michael Crichton.

Global Warming

This college experience is really making me think about many opinions I have had in the past. I have always thought that global warming was a major issue to this planet, but after reading State of Fear my opinions have changed. I believe Michael Crichton to be a very smart and influential author, and I respect him very much. I also believe that Al Gore and the many environmentalists of our world are also worth my respect. But who is right and who is wrong? Both groups back themselves up with a plethora of scientific charts, graphs, and evidence to support their theories, because global warming IS a theory as of yet. I suppose I am a little more biased to side with Crichton because I am a big fan of his books, and plus I am also a Republican. Putting all funny business aside for right now, I am having trouble determining what side to go on now that I know many more facts than I used to. Environmentalists say that the world we live in may not be here in 50 years because of global warming and some argue that global warming is a myth! Everyone in this debate is educated so it is a legitimate discussion with both sides pushing against each other. In the end though I may side with the group that says global warming is an issue, because even though it may not be in reality, the cutting back on inefficient energy consumptions may save our planet 1000 years from now.

My Trumpet and Me

The Spanish call a trumpet "trompeta" literally meaning trumpet in English. I play my trompeta here at Wartburg in the Symphonic Band. We had our first real concert last weekend and my family came over to watch! My dad was my band director in high school and it was an emotional concert for me as I watched him silently cheer me on in the crowd. Having my dad as my band instructor in high school was an honor because he is the person that I most respect in my life. If I end up being half the man my dad is then I will be happy. Watching him in the background as I played made me feel old. I never thought that I would see the day that I would be in college and not have my dad to help me out through a band program. He didn't hold my hand or anything, I learned to play well on my own, but he was always there when I had questions and now I have to go to different people to become a more educated band student. I have grown as a musician in the past few months and with a different instructor my horizons have been broadened. People are right when they say that you learn a lot about yourself in college, and I learned that even without my parents help I can accomplish many things on my own. It's a different way of thinking when you decide what's best for you and not having someone else decide what's best for you. One piece of advice that my dad left with me was to read the newspaper every morning and stay informed with the current events of this planet.

Hot Topic

I recently went to the Cedar Falls mall and entered a store called Hot Topic. My friend Josh Trueblood had a bad attitude upon entering the store, and in fact I had a bad attitude towards the store as well. We were looking for cool shirts that we could wear, shirts with bands such as RA RA RIOT and Band of Horses. Upon entering the store we were overwhelmed with New Moon accessories. That is really scary situation to be in when you are a good looking college guy. Teenage girls everywhere garbed in black shirts and black eye liner and goggling over everything with New Moon printed on it. We immediatly shot to the back of the store and found our shirts, but being poor college students we quickly decided that $20 was too much to spend on a shirt. I guess the moral of this story is that the store Hot Topic can be considered a hot and cold shopping event, one never knows what may jump out at them while in the store. There are really cool shirts with many neat bands, and then there are really weird accessories that make me flinch to look at. The whole shopping experience at a mall can be satisfying and an opportunity to learn what stores describe you. I would describe myself a Gap/Old Navy type of guy because I can be very stylish, while saving money at the same time!

My new Sport: Tennis.

I have recently fallen in love with the sport of tennis. I guess you could say that making friends with a tennis player probably made an impact on my acceptance of a sport that I am not very good at. I have always been a fan of watching tennis, but have never really taken up the sport as a hobby or for competitive play. Then I met Josh Trueblood. Josh is an avid tennis player and is on the cross country and tennis teams here at Wartburg. I met Josh as cross country camp and we soon became very good friends. He introduced me to the sport he loves to play and now I feel as if I could match his enthusiasm for the sport! Maybe not quite, but I now have a favorite tennis player, Rafael Nadal! So far I have played four or five pick up games of tennis at the courts here on campus and have throuhougly gotten beat by Josh. I keep a positive attitude though and feel that I am improving with every swing of the racket. I may even buy my own racket one day, but right now money is hard to come by... I wonder why? Anyhow, I now find myself reading the New York Times to catch up on tennis news and action and am sometimes even on youtube watching famous tennis matches. I do have a table tennis table at my house back in Garner, and frequently play that, but tennis itself is very tiresome and a good workout. Who knew that this sport would be so much fun! And I even gained a friend out of the deal.

Schoolwork

These past four days of Fall Break were very entertaining. I played a lot of table tennis, I had cross country practice every day, I watched many movies, went out to eat, met up with some high school friends, and even attended a couple of parties at night. All of that said, I did not do as much school work as I would have liked to... So I am fulfilling my day of rest with homework. God would not approve... Setting all jokes aside, I think I may have learned an important lesson here. School work should come before having fun at school's expense. I have a lot of money invested in my college education and thus should treat it importantly. My family has expectations for me; I have expectations for me. I realize that yes, I will probably get all of my homework done on this Sunday, but I feel rushed and stressed. I could have done a little bit at a time and been stress free on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, where now I am frantically writing papers and scribbling on note cards. In high school I could get away with zero work ethic and an excellent memory. College has taken my work load to the next level. I am having fun with my classes, but they are a lot of work. I think that I learn the value of work ethic when it comes back and bites me in the butt, not the way to learn a lesson. Even though I am sitting in my dorm studying frantically on the sabbath day, I know that I will try better next time to fulfill my duty as a Wartburg knight to put school before my fun time.

The end of Cross Country '09

Last Saturday my first season as a Wartburg cross country runner came to a close at the IIAC conference meet in Waverly. It was an up and down season for me full of both slow and fast times. Being a fierce competitor in high school it was tough for me to be at the bottom end of the food chain at the college level, but I knew that my freshmen season was all about getting involved in the system so that I could know how hard to train in the off season. My legs are sore, my body is ready for a break. It will be hard watching the varsity runners keep competing, knowing that if I was good enough I would be there too. But all I can do is watch and cheer now, knowing that next season I will give it my best shot to make it into the post season as well. Getting beat by Luther at the conference meet left a bad taste in my mouth that will make me hungry for the chance to beat them again next year. I look forward to an off season full of long, slow miles and then head into a long, but extremely fun track season! I am having a blast getting to know all of the cross country people and wouldn't trade any of this for all the money in the world! I feel that I have grown as a runner as well as a person this season and it has left me with many sweet memories that I will cherish for as long as I continue to run and live.

The Making of a Shirt that Defines Me

As I brainstorm ideas for how I want to design my shirt for the IS 101 project I look to how I live my everyday life for inspiration. I have drawn the three parts of my life that I feel describe me best: my musical talents, my running career, and my faith in Jesus. I believe that I have accurately drawn my shirt to how I live my life. On the front down the left hand side I have drawn many musical symbols. I am involved in band at Wartburg, so music is a big part of my life. Also on the front of my shirt I have a large runner with "W" for shoes. I run cross country for the Knights and so that means that I am running almost everyday. On the back of my shirt I have my name on the top to symbolize a jersey and under that I have a fish with the letters WWJD inside. My faith in Jesus has always been especially important to me and I wanted to give an ample amount of space to depict that. My sister was nice enough to let me use her art supplies and she generously taught me how to draw the fishes on the back of my shirt. I think that it was a great time to bond with my sister, because I don't get to see her much anymore... My family really loved my shirt, and it was after their praise that I felt that I should have added one more picture to my shirt, my family. My family will always be there for me and I will always be there for them. I feel that they go as a picture on my heart, instead of a white shirt.

The Packers or Brett Favre?

My whole life I have grown up in a family who lives and bleeds green and yellow. For 17 years of my life I have worshiped the ground that Brett Favre walks on, the iconic quarterback figure of the Packer franchise. Now that Favre plays for the Minnesota Vikings, a team who I have hated my whole life, I am left watching games and cheering for Favre even though he doesn't play for the Packers anymore. Brett Favre brings the sort of passion to the game that just makes a person respect him, admire him. A couple of weeks ago when the Packers played the Vikings, a game which the Vikings eventually won, I ended up cheering for the Packers while secretly wishing that Favre would have a great game too. I talked to my cousin who is a die hard Packers fan about this and he couldn't believe that cheering for Favre was even an option! I guess that an allegiance is owed to a team and not a player. However, I am still hurt that the Packers got wouldn't let Favre come back and play, so my feelings are still mixed. I think that this is an issue that I will have to deal with come next weekend when the Vikings visit Green Bay. I believe that I must choose a side, even if I must secretly cheer for my favorite player in the National Football League. Externally, I will cheer for Green Bay; internally, I will cheer for Brett Favre.

Putnam and the Downfall of American Society

As I read Robert D. Putnam's story entitled Bowling Alone: America's Declining Social Capital I can't help but wonder, is American social life really declining this drastically? This story seems to be all about how America is going downhill in the past half century. Putnam talks about how social gatherings have decreased immensely and how Americans are not politically aware of what is really going on in our country. Memberships for many fraternal organizations, volunteer work, and many other national affiliations have dropped off the social charts in America. Putnam remarks that 80 million people bowled at least once in 1993, nearly a third more than voted in 1994! He goes on to add that Americans are bowling more than ever, but that bowling leagues are plummeting... That decline in social interaction between people is hurting our national as a whole, and society doesn't seem to be doing anything about it. New technological advances socially deprive people because they tend to spend more and more of their leisure hours watching TV and playing video games instead of interacting with neighbors and just other people in general. It's scary to think that America is becoming more and more socially independent. Where will we be in the next 20 years if technology keeps increasing and Americans find more and more reasons to stay at home instead of going out for social occasions? I hope we will continue to thrive on our social status with each other and with our country.

Freire and The Banking Concept of Education

My blog today is about Paulo Freire's short story in our IS 101 book.

Freire is essentially talking about two different learning techniques: the banking concept of education and the problem-posing method of education. What I get out of that is that the banking method is kind of like storing knowledge in our brains like we would money in a bank. We don't learn hands on, the information is fed to us by our professor/teacher. Freire even goes as far as to say that the banking education method is "oppressing". The problem-posing method "liberates" the student and teacher from learning but not understanding. Problem-posing education, through dialogue, creates students and teachers alike who both learn and teach each other. The student is always cognitive and uses that cognitivity as a reflection to learn off of. Through problem-posing study, students are brought back to reality and can perceive why they exist and see the world as a transformation, not just static.

It seems to me that problem-posing is the way to go. Our discussion in class today was very enlightening. I learned that many people in the class had a banking background in education, and yet there were still many that had the problem-posing education. I had a mix of both. My science and math classes were very banking taught, while my humanities and history classes were very problem-posing classes. I hear that is not always the case. I think that it really depends on the teacher and what style they use to transfer the knowledge unto the students. Here at Wartburg I think that right now, being in the intro classes and lower level classes, I see more of a banking system approach. I believe that will change over into the problem-posing education in the years ahead.

Freire and Teaching

So far at Wartburg I still do not have a major declared, but I think I am on my way. For a while I have hoped that I could go professional with my running career, but I think I am going to need something to fall back on also. Setting aside all jokes I have been debating between two fields: anthropology and political science. I really haven't looked into anthropology all that much, but it sounds really fun and interesting, and as for political science, well, I have always been interested in government and I could see myself teaching history someday as well. Now as I am reading this piece by Paulo Freire about students being powerless in an educational system I cannot help but look back on my educational career and ponder whether information was "deposited" upon in me in classes. I look back at high school and honestly, I passed with flying colors in memorizing the night before a test and forgetting all of that information two weeks later. Freire talks about how we need to be conscious about what we learn so we can become liberated. If I had challenged myself to approach school with a better attitude and a desire to become more knowledgeable in certain areas, my life might have been way more interesting! Already at Wartburg I have challenged myself into obtaining a mastery at my respective classes and I feel the benefits that knowledge has to provide! If I am going to be a teacher someday I want to be able to teach my students to challenge themselves and become hungry for the chance to become more knowledgeable. I don't want any of my students to dread coming to school, I want them to crave it. I want to make school fun because learning is fun. I don't want to just "deposit" information into my student's heads, I want them to think for themselves and become conscious about who they want to be. I do not know where I will end up in four years from now, but I do know that whatever field I may be in, or wherever that may take me, I know that I will approach it with a positive attitude and a desire to think for myself.

Time at Home

Last weekend I got the chance to travel back to my hometown, Garner, for the first time in over a month. Due to cross country meets almost every Saturday, I haven't had the chance to visit my family on the weekends. It was exhilarating driving downtown and past the high school for the first time since becoming a Wartburg Knight. As I drove through Garner I felt really lonely all of a sudden. A wave of homesickness enveloped me and for the first time since leaving home I felt like I wanted to to nothing else but stay in Garner for the rest of my life. As I drove up my lane/driveway I felt very lucky and blessed to have grown up in a community such as Garner. I got out of my car and walked inside, my dog, a mix of a welsh corgi and a pug, greeted me at the door and immediately began sniffing me. Porgi is my dog's name and she looks nothing like a pug, she has a snout and a tail and is stocky. Nothing has changed much at my house, but it seemed like I had been gone forever and everything Had changed! My room was laid bare, my brother having turned it into his new "hangout" area. I had a lot of homework to do while home, but none of it got done as I spent all of my time playing with my dog and brother. Let's just say it was a very busy Sunday night when I got back to my dorm. Homecooking has never tasted soooo good; I never thought I would get sick of Mensa food, but Wartburg is just full of surprises it seems. I was sad to leave my home, but I know this is where I belong, In Waverly Iowa, at least for the time being :)

Balancing Sports and Music

Here at Wartburg I am involved in both cross country and band. Music and sports have always been an important aspect in my life and will continue to be for the rest of my life. Growing up I was a four sport athlete and played trumpet and piano since I was in third grade. Here at Wartburg, sports and music are top notch and being a Division III school gives me the the opportunity to participate, and hopefully succeed, in both. It all seems fine and dandy on paper, but there's a catch. Cross country and band both meet at the same time, sometimes a concert will conflict with a race, and there's the whole time commitment issue. However, here at Wartburg everyone works really well together. To be a part of the band program I have to be at rehearsals 50% of the time and since my band meets only four times a week that means I only have to go to band two times a week. That means I have to miss cross country practice two times a week, but that's okay. Coach Johnson works really well with me and I get to miss easy days and just run by myself. I love being a part of programs who are willing to share me and even make sacrifices in order to keep me happy. Already I feel that I am a better runner and musician just by placing myself into both programs and putting in some solid effort to challenge myself. Wartburg is nationally known for their sport teams and their music program and I am honored to be able to participate in both, even if it doesn't give me a lot of free time. Sacrifices are always going to have to be made, but I feel that God has given me this chance to become a more liberal student and imersing myself into deeper waters of knowledge.

Plato and Enlightenment!

Today in IS 101 we discussed what Plato meant by enlightenment in his Allegory of the Cave. Many opinions were expressed: I will repeat that again, many opinions were expressed. I enjoy listening to each person's opinions, and I feel that listening to what other people have to say makes me more enlightened, more knowledgeable. Plato felt that our rulers should be more enlightened than the rest of the population, an opinion that he wrote about in The Republic. Plato wanted to have philosophical rulers because they were not corrupted by power, all they wanted was to gain knowledge and ask questions. I agree with Plato that our rulers should be the most enlightened, but that does not always portray what kind of leader they will turn out to be. Just because someone is enlightened does not mean they are very ethical or have the guts to stand up for what they feel is right or wrong. Enlightenment is a crucial step in obtaining power, but it's just one of the many factors that make a great ruler. Some of those factors that make a great leader may include: wisdom, knowledge, courage, honesty, confidence, understanding, and mercy. There are many more attributes that I could list off that would define a great ruler, but there are so many different ideas that people have about the ideal ruler that there are too many to list. Enlightenment is a characteristic to strive for and can benefit not only yourself, but everyone around you. The goal should be to pass enlightenment to as many people as you can as to make this world a better place to live.

Socrates and the Liberal Arts

I am finding it very ironic that what I am learning in my western civilization class crosses over into our discussions and readings for IS 101. In western civ. we are learning about ancient Greece and its philosophical characters such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Socrates wrote that "the unexamined life is not worth living." That saying was mentioned in our IS 101 class on Friday, and I think that it ties in nicely with the liberal arts discussions we've been having. Giamatti's speech about the liberal arts really connected with Socrates and his teachings. The liberal arts is about examining yourself as an individual and how you can benefit the community around you. Always yearning for more knowledge is what philosophy is all about, and liberal arts puts a major emphasis on the importance of a well rounded knowledge. I think that if Socrates was alive in this day and age he would be a strong advocate of the liberal arts and their benefits for our democracy and society. Socrates was famous for challenging other Greeks to become "just individuals" and put the polis (Greek city-state) above themselves. I thought that the passage about Socrates and E.T. was just how a philosopher would interact with an ordinary citizen, always asking questions. As a liberal arts student, I feel that it is my job to always ask questions, becoming conscientious of my goals in life and what I want to attain before graduating from Wartburg College. Socrates would have challenged all of us here at Wartburg to keep asking ourselves what we want out of this liberal arts program, and what questions we have, not what answers we hold about life.

Learner Inventory/ Giamatti Questions

I have just completed the Vark Questionaire and have tested as a "multimodal (AR) learning preference. My scores were: Visual - 2, Aural - 5, Read/Write - 6, and Kinesthetic - 3. I am not entirely sure what these scores mean, but my guess would be that I learn in multiple ways. I think I am the kind of person that that learns differently in different situations. In science class for example, I learn by demonstration, same goes for math. In my opinion this is a pretty accurate assumption of my learning capabilities, but I know that I am also the type of learner that has to study material over and over to commit it to my long term memory. I suppose a strategy to help me with my studies this year would be to go over my notes from class and make more notecards than I am used to.

Giamatti defines liberal learning as such: Liberal education is defined by the attitude of the mind toward the knowledge the mind explores and creates. It rests on the supposition that our humanity is enriched by the pursuit of learning for its own sake, increasing the value of life. Liberal learning goes past ones career, into a deeper, more meaningful idea. It surpasses our lives in this world and lives on with us forever and ever. A liberal education desires to foster a freedom of the mind that will also contribute to the freedom of others.

Wartburg's Mission is "dedicated to challenging and nurturing students for lives of leadership and service as a spirited expression of their faith and learning."

Giamatti's idea of a liberal education seems to fit very well with Wartburg College's mission statement. Here are Wartburg, every one of us students and faculty members is challenged individually and as a group. The whole concept of liberal learning is to challenge oneself individually as well as benefiting the rest of the community. In order to be in a liberal education, one must be a leader, for one cannot liberally learn without leading themselves and others. Giamatti said that liberal learning is pleasing to the mind, and helps to strengthen our intellectual freedom. At Wartburg, I feel that that rings true because of our system of education and our idea that we can characterize ourselves as distinctive, well rounded individuals.

Alternate Ishmael Ending

I'm sitting here reading this alternate ending to Ishmael and wondering if it's even the same author writing it! The one page ending makes me think critically, but I feel that it's in a different, almost foreign style of writing not by Mr. Quinn. And do people really want someone who is the son of God? I believe they do. I believe that is what drives each of us. The quest of knowledge that there is something else out there, something way better than what we have down here. However, Mr. Quinn goes on to say that we would want someone who is a prophet, even if they are a fake. I think what he's trying to say is that people just want something exciting to listen to, something to stir them up. I tend to get frustrated that way too, I will ask myself why can't Jesus be in our time, why can't we see the spectacular miracles that went on when he was on the earth or miracles performed by the prophets of old? I then turn to my bible, and my faith; believing and not seeing. But everyone does not have that kind of faith. Many people cannot believe without seeing. People now want tangible, scientific evidence proving the existence of the supernatural. Bumper stickers of proof. I liked the alternate ending and all and i completely agree with the bumper stick the student wants to come up with: We are the Ten Thousand Year Reich. Let it end with us. That to me stands out as a statement that we are the end of the earth. Humans are last great ruler of the world. That's a pretty daunting statement if you ask me...

Discussing Ishmael

I know that my last post was meant for today's post, but I wanted to get it out of the way so I could have Friday to just rant in this blog entry. That said and done, we as a class discussed Ishmael today in what I thought was exactly how Ishmael himself would have wanted us to. Everyone shared their opinions and thoughts on the book, and many different interpretations and ideas were expressed. Just like the book, we students were challenged to think for ourselves while listening to what others had to say on certain topics. During our small group discussion we talked about what we thought of the novel through religious and evolutionist aspects. My partners and I asked each other what we thought of the Cain and Abel portion of the story. After that I enjoyed listening to people really pick their brains for answers during out full class discussion. I didn't particularly enjoy the book Ishmael, but I felt it allowed me to question myself more and learn from new and different ideas. It was a sad ending which added a little emotion, but overall it was a rather boring read.

Questions about Ishmael

In this blog I will be answering two questions about the book Ishmael.

1. Why does Ishmael send the student away to find his own answers? What does the student mean when he says he wanted to have a teacher for life?
2. Explain the premise of the Taker story that"the world was made for man, and he was meant to rule and conquer it." Why does Ishmael find this premise problematic?

1) Ishmael sends the student away to find his own answers because Ishmael knows that a student does not learn just by listening, they must go out and apply what they have learned to everyday life and think for themselves. This time spent away from Ishmael gives the student more time to think about and ponder a problematic question, thus learning the information the right way. No knowledge is gained without a challenge, Ishmael knows this and that is why he sends his student away, to think for himself and grow in understanding.
When the student says that he wants to have a teacher for life he meant that he wanted a teacher who would give him the supplies to keep gaining knowledge for the rest of his life. The student is the type of person who is not content with the knowledge he already has, but wants to keep learning.

2) Takers believe that the world was made for man, and he was meant to rule and conquer it. The premise of this theory is that after the agricultural revolution, when Takers started to push out the Leavers, us humans believed that the gods created this planet for us and that we should decide how best to go about our business of tending it. In that process, humans have become so ignorant of how to save the world, that we are in fact destroying it.
Ishmael finds this problematic because humans are wiping out not only his species, but all of the world around us. Why did humans take it upon themselves to think the gods put ownership of the world into their hands? Was the world not created for all creatures to live in harmony? The fact that the world was made for man to rule makes all the rest of its inhabitants slaves, or so Ishmael believes.

The Beginning of Chaos Theory

Compiling Chaos Theory into a 2-3 page paper isn't going to be as easy as I thought. I had always thought it (Chaos Theory) as a little piece of science from Jurassic Park, but as I look into it more and more I find that it is in fact a complete field of science/math studies that both scientists and mathematicians continue to debate over. Chaos Theory is a very complex system of science that I hope to grasp by the time I finish this paper, even if I only understand the basics of it. It is crazy to think that Ian Malcolm was so sure of himself as he predicted the fall of Jurassic Park. Even the world itself, chaos, means a state of utter confusion. The fact that Dr. Malcolm could state with utter certainty that Jurassic Park would ultimately fail is astounding in itself. I don't understand much of Chaos yet, but it seems to be a science that is full of interpretation and trial and error and guessing. As I delve deeper into my research, Chaos Theory seems more and more like a science fiction theory instead of a factual modern day science. I just do not understand how it can be proven or disproved when it still cannot be fully understood. I sit here wondering how my other group members will tackle this paper. Will our responses be very similar, just skimming the outer edges of a confusing science, or will each of our papers hit a different topic of Chaos Theory? I am almost jealous of Professor Wright as she gets to read and grade our papers. Almost.

Jurassic Park Day 3/ Start of Chaos Theory

During my senior year of high school my biology teacher and me would discuss whether dinosaurs could really be genetically cloned and brought back to life the "Michael Crichton" way. He argued that it could never happen that way, and I vehemently argued my case that they could. One of my friends who was in the class was a huge Michael Crichton fan and helped me out by printing off papers about dinosaur cloning, Chaos Theory, and scientific articles debating the topic. I called him up the other day and told him I was writing a 2-3 page paper on Chaos Theory, and boy did he sound jealous. An argument that we both joked around with in high school I now get to research and discuss with a college class!
Jurassic Park came to a close last Friday and its ending proved Chaos Theory to be true in that situation. The park was definitely a complex system and a perfect storm for everything to go wrong, and that left me wondering, how complex does a system have to be for Chaos Theory to be proven true? How can I relate the theory to my own life? A subject so jokingly and lightly discussed in my high school science class that I now have the chance to elaborate on excites me.

Jurassic Park Day 2

Myth: Jurassic Park is a safe place where humans may view dinosaurs at their leisure.
Fact: Jurassic Park is in fact the opposite of a safe place. Jurassic Park is a very dangerous theme park where a person may be eaten by any number of dinosaur.

We have entered our second day of viewing the hit movie Jurassic Park and it seems that what was supposed to be a fun, safe adventure of a lifetime has turned out to be one of nightmares. Ian Malcolm's Chaos Theory is proven to be true in this movie as a tropical storm hits Isla Nublar while the park has been "shut down" by Dennis Creevy, the computer genius. All hell breaks loose as the T-Rex escapes his pen and terrorizes the company of experts and kids who are viewing the park. My absolute favorite part of the movie occurs when the game warden finds that the raptors have broken out of their pen and are now free to move about the park. He knows that there is nothing more dangerous on the island than velociraptors, and the look in his eyes says it all. I have always been facinated with velociraptors and their enate ability to problem solve and hunt as a unit (as our own Mr. Game Warden will find out quite soon). Dr. Grant and the kids have found eggs on the island that prove that using frog DNA with the dinosaur's DNA has not kept them from breeding. Life will find a way. Sitting in class and watching my classmates reactions to different parts in the movie is very amusing and shows that even though this movie was made over a decade ago, it is still quite entertaining.

Jurassic Park Day 1

I first watched Jurassic Park was when I was 8 or 9 years old and wow did I sure have nightmares for a long time. I eventually got over my fear of the movie and it has been one of my favorites to watch! Even since I was a toddler dinosaurs have fascinated me. Growing up I owned a sizable collection of dinosaur figurines and had an extensive knowledge of each dinosaur and its name. Now that I am older, not only do the dinosaurs still fascinate me, but I also have obtained a strong interest and curiosity for the science behind Jurassic Park. One character that sticks out the most in the movie is Dr. Ian Malcolm, the mathematician behind the Chaos Theory. Dr. Malcolm predicts that the Jurassic Park will in time fail because chaotic and complex systems, mixed with the right amount of undisciplined conditions, cannot be controlled. My favorite scene so far is at the beginning when Dr. Grant first sees the Brachiosaurus upon entering the park. His display of awe struck befuddlement sends shivers up my arms because in my opinion, his reaction is a perfect fit for what each and everyone of us would do in that situation. Not only are the actors top notch, but the music generates an insatiable need to not only keep watch on the movie, but to keep an open ear for the next strategically placed song that may warn of impending danger. I absolutely love watching this movie and am already looking forward to the upcoming class this Wednesday.

Things from home

Homesick: a word used to describe many college freshmen during their first week of college. I know that I am very much homesick during my first week at Wartburg, but some items that I brought from home make it more bearable. Some of these items include a picture of my high school cross country while we are praying before a race. I have a picture of me and my best friend Danelle by my bed. My old pillow from home lays on my bed and still smells just like my old room. These three items have given me solace during these first few days at Wartburg and each instills in me a memory of my life back home. Whenever I look at these items I am left with a sense of life beyond that of Wartburg; of friends left behind, memories left back home, and relationships that will never be the same again. Hopefully I will be able to grow as a person, build on those past memories, and grow closer to new friends as well as keeping old high school friendships. The cross country picture of my teammates praying symbolizes what is still very important in my life, faith; faith not only in my God, but also in my ability to grasp the reigns of this new ride that I am taking at Wartburg.

My first week of college has been a whirlwind of late nights, meeting new people, and of course, decorating my new dorm room. I have been on campus now for five days, and before that I was at cross country camp in South Dakota at Custer National Park. Getting to know the team before school started has eased me into the transition of college life. Now I know many more students on campus who are both my teammates, and my new friends. Although I am anxious and nervous for the upcoming school year, I know that I already have a ton of support from my professors and my peers as well. I am the type of guy that is used to getting over 8 hours of sleep every night and honestly, I made my way through high school without good study habits. I know that I need to step up my game at this new level of academics and am looking forward to the challenges ahead. My parents told me before I came here that "college is the time in your life where you learn the most about yourself." I feel that I already have learned a lot about myself by being here just five days! My opinions and morals will be tested, but I know that that will only make me stronger and help me to become a better person when I leave.

-Erik