Blog 10

                I am going to use this blog to discuss what I feel that I have gain from Humanities 2001 and what I feel lacked in the course.  Overall I feel that Humanities is a great course for everyone to take. It really broadens the understanding of other cultures, and allows for students to more fully understand cultures (especially Eastern culture) that they do not fully understand. I really feel that I gained a great deal from that area of the course. I appreciated the pieces covered in class as well. It is essential, especially if a student is not familiar with the liberal arts, to study all disciplines. I feel that having knowledge in areas such as literature, art, and music is essential to becoming a well rounded human being.  Of course I feel that same about the importance of math and science; however I feel that American culture really lacks that appreciation of the arts, which could potentially result in a society of people who do not know how to think abstractly (although I know that math is an abstract idea, so I guess a better word would be creatively?)  Regardless, I feel that overall Humanities is a very useful course.

                In regards to our particular Humanities class, the one area where I felt that it may have been weak was in the way in which all three professors interacted with one another.  I am not going to name names or point fingers. During class certain classes (especially labs) I felt that there was a general lack of communication amongst the professors.  While studying for the final I found it relatively difficult to find pieces that related to one another under a universal theme of sorts.  If this same group is working together in the future, I believe that it might be helpful to discuss as a group what pieces each professor is covering during a particular unit. It might also help to cover more art and music pieces so that the students get a better idea of the in which the art and music actually can relate quite well to literature.  Another thing that I think could be improved, but is not necessarily a weakness, is the lecturing from slides. It really made the class… boring, for lack of a better word.   Don’t get me wrong, I found the lectures very interesting, but I also found it hard to make myself take notes when I knew that the majority of the information would be on the slides.  Besides that I felt that the class was a success, and I really did enjoy the literature portion very much.

PS. I apologize for calling you out about saying that the people in the art department were high. It was actually really funny, and I completely understand the joke.  I really didn’t find it offensive, but I guess I just felt the need to defend the art students. I don’t like that the other majors perceive art students as slackers because in reality, it is a very rigorous track.  So when I called you out I guess I was just defending the intelligence of art students in comparison to other students (not that one is better than the other).  So like I said, I am really sorry. I hope have a really nice break, and I really did enjoy your portion of the class!!

Final Exam

                So overall I feel that I have a pretty good grasp on the new format of our final exam. Basically I just write a five paragraph essay analyzing a piece of literature, a piece of music, and a piece art from one time period. My overall goal is to gain a better understanding of the culture of that time by finding a common theme amongst the pieces. Once I have completed my in depth analysis of each work I should use my fifth paragraph to relate them all under one theme.

                Each culture/ time period is slightly different from the others. Islam stands out because, unlike the European Middle Ages and Renaissance, it is a distinct culture that spans over thousands of year. The main focus of Islam is devotion to God. God is also very prominent in the European Middle Ages and the Renaissance; however people in the Middle Ages had a Ptolemaic view of the universe and believed that God resided in the outer most realm. The goal of the educated elite during the Medieval period was to transcend earth by using higher faculties of the mind. There was an inward and upwardness to medieval thought. The view of the universe changed in the Renaissance.  People were less focused on the firmament and more focused on worldly matters.  There was also a new sense of the self. People began to study ancient Greece and ancient Rome as a way to better their education.

                I have decided that one culture I will be writing about is Islam. An overall theme in the Islamic culture is the dedication to God.  The Koran, Mihrab, and the Call to Prayer are all great examples of this.  The Koran is the Muslim Holy book, and is written in a very straight forward style. The reader is not supposed to read the Koran for entertainment; they are supposed to read it to get closer to God. Unlike the bible the Koran tells the reader that what they are reading is the direct word of God.  Mihrabs are niches located in mosques in the wall that faces Mecca. Mecca is the Holy land so this alone is a direct reminder of a Muslim person’s obligation to God. In the center of the mihrab is a rectangular space that is supposed to simulate the shape of the Koran which is the word of God. The Call to Prayer is a daily call that reminds Muslim people that it is time for them to stop what they are doing and pray.

Words: 424

Visit to the Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church

I found that the visit to the Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church was interesting. The thing that I enjoyed more than anything was the church itself.  I have traveled around Europe and have seen several magnificent Catholic Churches; however I have not had the chance to visit many impressive churches in the United States. I am sure that there are many churches that can compare to those in Europe, but my visit to the Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church was my first experience in a church even remotely similar. I love the way in which Catholic churches use artworks as a way to remind people of their duties of a Christian.  The ornamentation inside the church is absolutely fantastic.

I do not really consider myself a Christian, but I would consider visiting a Catholic church. I appreciate their emphasis on tradition. I noticed that their some of their hymnals were written in Latin, which indicates to me that there is an emphasis on the importance of history. There is something intriguing about the Catholic Church. I feel that it differs from other sects in the way in which the entire religious service is carried out.  To me it seems like they take the religion more seriously (in a traditional sense) than say the Baptists or Methodists do. The feeling I got when I entered the church was something along the lines of, “I definitely understand that this is a holy place.” Upon entering many Baptist churches I felt as if I were simply entering a community center of sorts. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with the more contemporary elements found in Baptist churches. I simply feel that if I were to go to church on Sunday I would choose a catholic church, because I appreciate tradition in religion.

Words: 302 

IDEE

All things considered, I think that I did relatively well on my midterm. I was hoping for an A; however a B will suffice because I still have an A in the class. I think it would help to prepare an outline for the final at least a week in advance so that I can revise it however I see fit. For the midterm I made outlines for both of my essays two days before. This was poor planning on my behalf, because it did not give me time to revise and plan out my essays.  One thing that I think that greatly needed improvement was my analysis of the music. Thinking back to my midterm I now realize that I did not include very many technical terms in regards to the pieces I was analyzing, but I instead focused on the way in which the musical pieces as a whole affect the individual.

I’m not sure if the new format is going to be beneficial for me.  Being held accountable for two cultures as opposed to four is nice; however I did not feel that it was very difficult memorizing all of the pieces from each culture. I feel that my concluding comparison paragraphs may have been a little brief, but I also believe that, for the most part I successfully utilized them.  One thing that I think will make the final easier is the fact that we don’t have to focus heavily on the three themes. That was the one thing that I found very difficult.

Last week’s lab was useful. I think it helped me see where I need improvement. Like I said before, I believe that my essays fell a bit short when it came to analyzing the art and music. I need to remember to discuss the technical and formal elements of each piece, and then find a way in which I can relate such elements to the themes and concepts. 

Words: 326

Islamic Art

Unfortunately I had to miss our classes visit to the Islamic Mosque last Saturday, and instead I had to watch a movie about Islam. I chose the movie Islamic Art II which sounded pretty interesting considering I am an art major. I was very disappointed by the fact that the movie was simply a video tape of a speech given by a visiting artist in 1981. What the artist was discussing was quite interesting, but the video itself was absolutely awful.  The artist, whose name escapes me at this moment, was discussing the treatment of tile work within an Islamic Mosque. He started his lecture by explaining that many styles of tile work from areas such as China and Turkey were adapted by the Islamic people to better suit their aesthetic.  He stated that by looking at the tiles one could immediately notice the Chinese inspiration; however Chinese porcelain dishes were not discovered in the region until about 100 years ago when over 8oo bowls were found.  The tile making process was pretty interesting. In many cases if there were colors showing through the tile, such as turquoise leaves that were distinctly different from the painted surface of the tile, then the turquoise stone would actually be attached to the back of the tile, and would show through a cut out hole in the front.  The visiting artist and his crew actually cleaned the tiles in the mosque in order to view them more accurately. To their surprise, what appeared to be faux marbling actually turned out to be a green ground with white abstracted figures such a ducks and flowers. In one set of tiles the crew uncovered a painted image of two very stylistically painted tigers. This kind of imagery is rare within mosques; however the speaker explained that it is a common misconception to think that there is absolutely no representational imagery in Islamic art. He explained that although it may be rare it is not forbidden in all mosques as many people think.  This can be seen below. 

words: 337

!@#$%^&*! MIDTERMS!

                Last week I went to a coffee shop and tried to study for my interdisciplinary essays.  Up until last week I had not really stressed very much about the interdisciplinary essays, because throughout my college career I have not made lower than an A on in class essays. I also felt extra confident knowing that we were pretty much given the prompt beforehand and that we would have almost a month to prepare for these essays. However, as soon I as I sat down to outline these particular essays I realized that this was not going to be as easy of a task as I had initially thought it would be. The concept of relating one of three themes with two or more concepts with a piece of literature, music, and art work, on top of writing an essay that cohesively flowed, began to seem like an overwhelmingly impossible task. I began to have a freak out moment. I am not someone who handles stress well at all. At that particular time I convinced myself that I already have too much stress in my life, and then I began to think about dropping the class. (Ridiculous, I know.)  Whenever I begin to feel like I am going to fail at something I start to shut down.  So on this day I just had to shut my laptop and leave the coffee shop.

                Today has been a little different. I approached studying in a more organized fashion by sitting down and simply outlining each culture then relating it to a topic. Within two hours I had managed to come up with two very nice outlines to base my essays off of. All I can say is that it really wasn’t hard. In the right frame of mind (and with two midterm portfolios out of the way) I was able to affectively study for my interdisciplinary essays. I am no longer stressed out about tomorrow, and I have confidence that I will do well.

….as long as I don’t freak out right before the exam. J

Words: 344

Visiting the Synagogue

           Upon entering the synagogue I immediately noticed that this place of worship was very modestly decorated. The color scheme of the room was very monochromatic and bland; however I was pleased to a set of very ornate doors of some sort.  They were made of bronze and copper and they had Hebrew letters on them. Later in the session we learned that the letters on these doors represented the Ten Commandments, and that behind the doors was the torah scrolls. The Rabi was a small kind looking man who informed us that this place of worship is not church. The Congregation of the Children of Israel is either referred to as a synagogue or a temple.  According to the Rabi, calling it a temple is not a very traditional thing to, but many people who live in Augusta refer to it as a temple.  The Congregation of the Children of Israel is a place for Reform Jews to worship; if it were a place for Orthodox Jews it would never be called a temple. Orthodox Jews believe that the only temple is the Temple of Solomon, and they hope that it will one day be rebuilt; therefore they cannot call any other place of worship a temple.

                Overall I really enjoyed my visit to the temple. The Jewish religion is very interesting to me. I appreciate that believe that there is a place for all good people of any religion, or no religion at all, in heaven. They put more emphasis on this life and living it to the best of their ability. They do not worry with the afterlife too much, because it is unknown to them.  To me Jewish people seem very relaxed. They do not try to convert other people to their religion, but they are more than happy to help someone convert.  The overall impression I got was that Jewish people seem to be very accepting of all people.
Words: 323

Canon = Rule or Measure

In 450 BCE Polykelitos, the best known theorist of Classical Greece developed a set of rules for constructing the ideal human body. He documented these rules in a treatise called “The Canon.”  According to his canon, the proportions of the human body can be calculated using a module, or small body part such as the nose or finger. He not only studied the ratios of the proportions of the entire human body, but he also analyzed the distribution of weight in the arms and legs of a relaxed figure.   Polykleitos demonstrated this by constructing a larger than life bronze statue of a man known as The Spear Carrier.  Unfortunately, neither the treatise nor the statue survived; so the statue that I will be analyzing is actually a Roman copy that is made of marble. 

This sculpture depicts a nude, upright man, who would have been carrying a spear during the time in which this statue was created. The position of his body, also referred to as contrapposto, is illustrating the movement of walking and coming to a standstill. Unlike the statues of Archaic Greece, such as the Kouros, this statue is conveying a sort of narrative. The viewer can imaging that the man depicted was once walking and is now stopping.  In many cases the viewer can visualize what the statue would look like once the man came to a standstill. This difference sense of time also projects a different sense of self. 

As opposed to the Archaic Greeks who had not yet developed a unified sense of self, the Classical Greeks began to view themselves as a more continuous and unified being.  During the Classical period, many people began to investigate the world with a more rational approach, and a good example of this would be Polykleitos’ Spear Carrier.  The idea of "beauty" emerged through the philosophy of Plato, who believed that beauty did not necessarily mean attractive, but was more of a way to define something as closer to the good. Mathematics, as used in Polykleitos’ sculpture, is something of a higher order which cannot be grasped using the senses alone. Mathematics alone is what makes the Spear Carrier, in some sense, good. 
Overall I feel that this was a pretty good analysis; however after rereading it, I feel that it sounds a little disjointed. My weakest and probably most irrelevant paragraph would have to be my last. It's obvious that I do not fully grasp the concept of mathematics as related to the good. I tried to incorporate some information from Art History I to make it sound a little better, but I don't think that it helped. As Socrates would say, I am displaying my ignorance on the subject by trying to act like I am actually wise. I admit that I am not wise, and that my analysis is not perfect. 

Words: 476

WHAT?!...Interdisciplinary Essays?!

To be honest, when I read the blog prompt I felt a little intimidated, and before attending class on Friday I had no idea what to write about. I was especially intimidated by the idea of writing two interdisciplinary essays for our midterm. However, I feel that I now have better grasp on what is expect. So in order to discuss the themes of obligation, suffering, and judgment, I am going to related theme to the cultures we have studied thus far.

Obligation is theme that I feel is very prominent in Hinduism. It relates directly to their idea of dharma, or duty.  In order to break the cycle of samsara, and overcome human ignorance, you must become aware of your dharma.  Becoming aware of your dharma, and essentially yourself is not a necessarily an easy task.  However, when one discovers their dharma they must fulfill it in order to better their karma and better serve Brahma.  In Hinduism, having good karma is the key to escaping samsara, the cycle of rebirth and suffering.

When it comes to Archaic Greece I believe that the theme of suffering was a very notable aspect of their culture.  The thing that was most desired by Greek men was honor, or timê.  In order to gain honor men would have to defend and fight for their community, which would most likely involve a lot of suffering.  Achilles and Odysseus both suffered a great deal during and after the Trojan War; however this suffering, although it may have caused them a great deal of pain, paid off in the end because it resulted in honor.

Judgment is an important theme in both Hinduism and Ancient Greece.  As previously stated, in order to break the cycle of samsara Hindus must have good karma, and if their karma is bad they are forced back into the cycle.  In Archaic Greece the afterlife is the same for everyone, which means that unlike the Hindus, they are exclusively judged while they are on earth. 

Word count: 335

Ancient India...The Movie

                Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the class visit to the Hindu temple. I instead had to resort to the second best option, watching a movie titled Ancient India.  I have a feeling that in many cases the perplexing title of the movie may have lead some students to wonder, “Now just what is this Ancient India movie about?” That was not the case for me. Being the bright young lady that I am, I gathered that, although the title seemed a little ambiguous, the movie was going to be about ancient India.  I was right.

                Ancient India was a relatively interesting movie that traced India’s history all the way back to the earliest excavated Indian city Harappan, which dates back to 3,500 BCE.  Like many cultures, Indian culture has evolved substantially over time due to a variety of reasons. I find it fascinating how ancient Indian traditions have been maintained for over 5,000 years.  Footage of the ruins of ancient civilizations such as Harappan and Mojenjo Daro helped to better display the longevity of Indian culture.  Almost all of the religious imagery that the modern world relates with Hinduism can be found amongst these ancient ruins.

                This movie, along with what we have been studying in class has really heightened my interest in Hinduism.   I find the emphasis on sexuality in Hinduism very intriguing.  I like the fact that unlike many religions that shun sexuality, the Hindus embrace it, and they especially embrace female sexuality.  I feel that sexuality with love is a part of life that should be celebrated and not scored.  The Hindus take this to another level by believing that sexuality amongst a married man and woman can actually bring them closer to Brahma. 

                I do not consider myself a religious person; however I also do not consider myself an atheist. For many years I have struggled with Christianity.  I believe that there is a higher power in the cosmos, but I do not believe that it is necessarily the Christian God.  I feel like there is a force that is greater than man, like an energy that is all around us.  I was pleased to learn that this is how the Hindus describe Brahma. Believing that Brahma is everything makes a lot more sense to me than saying that God is the creator that sits up in the heavens and watches over us.

                Overall, I feel that I have gained a lot from studying India and Hinduism.

Word count: 432