26 20 5655 https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/a629b586f54e6a286b46e99bdfce9d72.pdf cbf2f1098f2c79434c33636ce1c7c766 PDF Text Text ot know which to prefer, ieauty of inflections , beauty of innuendos, 1acl<bird whistling 1 ;t after. -- Wallace Stevens The Collegian first est. 1888 Volume II, Issue 4 Friday, February 8, 1991 Two sides to a Tortoise Take five-and twenty heaps of cinders dumped here and there in an outside city lot; imagine some of them magnified into mountains, and the vacant lot the sea; and you will have a fit idea of the general aspect of the Encantadas or Enchanted Isles. Like a natural history time he began to believe in of the soul's dark and ma- the transmutation of spelevolent beauty, Melville's sketches of the Galapagos or, Enchanted Isles, lay out under the guise of a reportage of the facts of the islands' natural and human inhabitants, a poetical, metaphysical dream of Good and Evil. By some, or no, coincidence it was through this same area that Darwin passed in 1836, the cies, which led twenty-three years later to his book The Origin of Species (Melville's work appeared in 1854). What can be said aboutthe ends arrived at by these two men; poet, and scientist, in their different, but oddly similar accounts of the same phenomena? For Darwin, what appears as the orderly sepa- TWO SIDES TO A TORTOISE 3 PRELUDES TO ESCAPES TWO PERSPECTIVES: The Women's Anthology of St. John's College UNTITLED SKETCH ETWEEN THE FIBONACCI NUMBERS E MAN IN THE BURLAP BERET Y ALLIANCE WITH THE SKY NTITLED SKETCH E FARRELL SONG OUGHTS ON DISSECTION E HOLLOWING OF HER EARS TES *Faith *Letter to a Military Father ration of species, is really a chaos of individual differences competing for survival, and inheritance, driven as if by the necessary laws of physics to divergent outcomes. A struggle that results in "that perfection of structure and co-adaptation, which so justly excites our admiration." What appears as fixity, is really constant mutation. Melville's world is also one of mutation; in legend, the islands are not fixed, but wander throughout the sea "uncertain, and unsure." The tortoises that live there are said to be the souls of ship-wrecked officers transformed at death, GRABLEWSKI p. 1 COVEY p. 3 editors p. 5 FRIESEKE KELLEY WARDELL ANONYMOUS KELLEY NEASE ROAHEN MATRICK p. 6 8 p. p. p. p. p. 9 14 15 16 p. 18 p. 19 p. 21 DENK p. 22 ANONYMOUS p. 23 St. John's College, Annapolis, MD 21404 �2~~~~~~~~-,--~~~~~~~~~.----~~~~~~~~- "and in some cases before death." The tortoise's appearance is the source ofthe haunting memory that "lasting sorrow and penal helplessness are in no animq.I form so suppliantly expressed as in theirs; while the thought of their wonderful longevity does not fail to enhance the impression." Both men share the view that nature is in a sense, trapped in nature, in one case, by the subjugation to blind laws, in the other, by the servitude of existence. And Man in general suffers the same fate, as Darwin seems to suggest in his comments on unconscious selection by breeding, and when at the end of the book he claims that his theory will give a new foundation to psychology. In The Origin of Species, Darwin is ambiguous George Dolan '92 Robby Nease '92 Molly Hinshaw '93 Vanessa Stratton '93 Kelly Rock '94 Dawn Beltz, GI . Tequila Brooks Ange Mlinko editors Kevin Dungey, faculty advisor Printed at St. John's College Print Shop L.:::================::'..1 about whether the "preservation of favored races" will result in evolution. The only standard of judging a favorable variation is the existence of one that is passed on to offspring in large numbers. On the other hand, he hints that sophistication, and the development of intelligence in increasing gradations, are the most favorable of adaptations, since man can even control the breeding of lesser species at will. Also, when Darwin rises to rhetoric, as in the first sentence of the last paragraph of his book where he says "Thus, from the war of nature, from famine and death, the most exalted object which we are capable of conceiving, namely, the production of the higher animals directly follows." Melville is certainly no believer in evolution. He sees the tortoises transf igured into ''three Roman Coliseums in magnificent decay." The islands themselves are rotting, "Nothing can better suggest the aspect of once living things malignly crumbled from ruddiness into ashes." The continual mutation of nature is a decay that lasts for eternity, as the turtles' armour is a "citadel wherein to resist the assaults of Time." He describes that when the tortoises are brought onto the ship, they crawl along the deck in a straight line, never moving aside for any obstacle, but hopelessly trying to batter their way through with their foreheads. "Their crowning curse is their drudging impulse to straightforwardness in a belittered world." The tortoises are victims of a "penal, or malignant, or perhaps a downright diabolical enchanter," just as in the Darwinian system individuals have no reason for existence save generation, and the endless struggle for the survival of the species. Whether the tortoises are driven by stupidity or resolution, the result is the same; that is will (mind) cannot free the~ from their condition. Melville's world is one where potentiality is everywhere unrealized, unrealizable and divine providence · no more present than · Darwin. "Nought els abides on fickle earth b unkept promises of joy." Black and melancho above, the tortoises a bright as "great Octa pumpkins in the sun" low. A man can be gay the Encantadas by turn the tortoises over on t backs, although this is news for the tortoises si they are unable to themselves back alone. So the tort have their beautiful si well, at least for ma Darwin speaks of "e forms, most beautif most wonderful." Th strange, that Da --~~~~~~~~-.--~~~~~~~~-.-~~~~~~~~3 moved by the apparent beauty of the world to arrive at a system which explains it through the "dark" side of violence, and brute necessity, while for Melville, the dark is always more vividly present than the light, but yet does not overcome it. It is not clear, though, what the beauty of nature, if that is all that is represented by the light side, does or should mean for man. (The later sketches in Melville's se5 are devoted more to man affairs and justice.) There is, of course, a 3 difference in method. Darwin offers a theory which requiresajudgementon its objective truth, or a least like Ihood, based on empirical evidence, and strength of reasoning. Melville takes the other route, to stories and nightmare visions of endless riding on the Hindu mythological tortoises of eternity. Nobody reading his book need believe that this view of nature is the objective truth, if such a thing exists. Although maybe the questioning is of a more subtle kind than thatwearebroughttowhen reading Darwin. The existence of a dream in Melville's mind, might not mean it is established absolutely as the truth even for him. As he says, "Such was the wild nightmare begot by my first impression of the Encantadas tortoise. But next evening, strange to say, I sat down with my shipmates and made a merry repast of tortoise steaks and tortoise stews." --ANDREW GRABLEWSKI '90 Pre(uaes 'I'o 'Escapes 1. The road rolls away from my rear-view mirror Glittering with the broken bits of the glass I threw from my window. It is morning. The mist-silhouetted buildings and cars, The back wing of the hospital where the steam rises up, Langston motors, a bed and breakfast house (where The tired have just awakened), lush green hillsides Grown over the fences, and now and then a hitchhiker Not even bothering to turn around now, Flagging the air with his thumb, a broken-down bus In an empty parking lot -- all these greet me As I drive to work from a home I can no longer stand. The radio, little enough company that it is, Talks in voices I ignore while the sun, high in the sky rom my late sleeping, shines despairingly, slantingly hrough the mist. meday, perhaps, I will keep driving my workplace city, countryside, land, and ocean e sun's home from the mist ive on still to neither happiness nor joy nor light e~y to peace, merely to peace. mng, and I have far to go. �4----s~'ll 2. Up the street, a woman in green Prances on her porch to eyes that do not watch her. She is old, and measures her steps against time. She clutches the rail with crippled hands And sways and stares wildly, thinking: "Soon I shall die, soon, Who have been loved and hated, who have hurt and healed, And am now ignored, Soon, soon, I shall die." Forcing a conversation on children who pass "And shall die lonely, Who have born six children, Shall die alone in my room. Such is the payment of my womb." Keep me in temper; I would not be mad! 3. Bold moon, shine on On the leaf-shadowed trail For I have left the city far behind. And the lights that flowed around me And hid me from the night Have exposed me to the terror of the sky. 5 Two Perspectives: The Women's Anthology of St. John's College Critique: Anthology Reflects Quality Typical of Most am a feminist who despises women's antholoInvariably their editors prefer emotional honto stylistic subtlety, bitterness to wittiness, exclusion to inclusion. Though The Women's Anthology of St. John's Col/ege is less than radical, it suffers, like all the rest, from a terminal case of "sincerThe first casualty of is quality. As Ms. Giles herself states in her "Imposing editorial judgment on [the materials] seemed unjust. To do so would not have been constructive. The Jmportance of hearing the ices as had been ered precluded any sus. us muttering of the lurking within. They mutually ex, in 've." Since when have ediip and criticism been ally exclusive? This of talk is worthy of press authors, who y price to see their vement" typeset, packaged, and . Ms. Giles and 's collection sufspotty quality, and ,pieces, often titled e just that-- pri""'""''""or·1nr On this path through the silent wood I run from man and all his lying, cheating ways To something pure and simple and natural That I was deprived of before my birth. But on the dampened autumn ground You, who should be my protector from the past, Carve what I most hate to see -Images between the sheltering leaves Of those I have loved and betrayed. That which I flee runs before me, Keeping pace to the ridge of a hill Where I plead my case, where I carry My own burden of civilized treachery And beg for us all the forgiveness of a Nature That does not care for man And see a final mockery -A city full of stars reflected in a lake And the wind singing a song Of 3 Preludes, 2 Escapes. -- JEFF COVEY '93 vate letters to strangers. Beth Cross' reminiscence in "This Is the Way I Make Mrs. Murray's Sesame Seed Cookies" transcends "mere" reminiscence where "Dear Mrs. Klein" does not; there is craft in the former, in the way she weaves past and present, action and reflection. Elizabeth Anne Leonard's "A Solitary Exodus" could have stood on its own merits; why then include a prefatory explanation by the author, begging us to identify her person with her persona? Is it dishonest for a woman to write fiction or poetry that is not frankly autobiographical? I suppose the pieces I most liked, Erin Milnes' essay on Hamlet and Mariam Cohen's short story "Numbness and Silence," reflect my bias toward the artful and not the diaristic. A case where content did outshine felicity was Mary Bittner Wiseman's "Reading As a Woman," which raises difficult questions about "great" authors' views on women, and how women react to them in their reading. Those advocates of our program who naively insist that authors "speak to the universal condition," implicitly including women, forget that the heroic theme of man is his struggle against the feminine, a broader and more complicated prejudice than the one aimed at women per se. As Ms. Wiseman demonstrates: "Morality" is the name of man's mastery of the natural in himself. Women are excluded from morality not because they are incapable of it but because they are characterized precisely in terms of the exclusions necessary for there being anything like morality (p.16). This is an example of something St. John's should address, yet it is lost in an anthology of recriminations, diary entries, and plain bad poetry. This brings me to my next point: men, too, should be contributing to this dialogue, and there is no incentive for a man to read this anthology. In my preceptorial junior year on black literature, one bad egg stood out: Gloria Naylor's The Women of Brewster Place, which prompted Mrs. Maschler to exclaim, "Isn't this rather stifling? There are no men in this book. Where's the other half of the world?" Half of the world is indeed missing from this �6~~~~~~~~.-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ women's anthology. One could criticize Henry IV, Part lion the same grounds (which I do) but isn't that why Shakespeare's tragedies and comedies are far better and more popular plays? Kant's gallant note on the charms of women, also quoted by Ms. Wiseman, sums up a great deal of man's ambivalence: "A single sly glance sets [men] more in confusion than the most difficult subject of science." Contrary to conventional feminist wisdom is the idea that men are very much held in thrall to women. If, in the classroom, girls distract boys, that is hardly a reason to oust the girls, as men have done. The problem is between the boys and their hormones. But for women to wage war against that great white whale, and demand the neutrality that their "equality" aspires to, is folly. Men have been trying to achieve that neutrality since time immemorial, and all it has led to is more hatred -- witness the unholy trinity of misogyny, ~~~~~~~~~-.-~~~~~~~~---,~~~~~~~~- An Appreciation: Anthology Attacks Issues of Concern 7 more acutely than men do. I can only guess at the reasons for this, based on my own experience. The academic aspect of the problem can be divided into two subjects. First I will discuss problems in class, and then problems which may be had reading "The Great Books." Some people may have the sensation that no matter what they do or say, no matter how much time or effort they spend preparing for class, they will never be able to command the respect of their tutors or have their ideas taken seriously. This sensation can be completely imaginary and have no basis except in the student's lack of confidence in herself. It can be a sensation the student has which goes away as her mind matures and her skills develop. It cannot be denied, however, that the sensation sometimes comes from outside influences. James Thurber wrote that if his mind were a movie theater, and ideas customers, the usher would let in every idea, perfect or not, formulated or unformulated. He didn't discriminate between the "clean-cut sailor" ideas and the "drunken scruffy bum" ideas. How can you know the worth of an idea if you judge it by its package? Howcanyoudismiss an idea if it doesn't fit in with the way you usually think about things? And worse, how can you dismiss an idea because the person who says it looks a certain way, or speaks in a certain tone of voice, or has trouble expressing it? Maybe a source to many problems in class is that we listen to the person and not the idea. A suggestion at a solution is that some of us work to express ourselves better and others of us work to listen better and in some cases, stop being so damn judgmental d in extreme cases, so ooty. This suggestion plies to tutors as well. e of my friends said that e tutor respects what a dent says, the other students will. How can a person have confidence in her idea if the tutor sneers as soon as she opens her mouth? This really happens. It has the effect of making a student falter, and in faltering completely botch whatever idea it was that she had in mind. When a tutor respects a student's idea, even when it isn't topquality or completely coherent, it has the positive effect of making the student feel more confident about her capabilities and in producing better and more coherent ideas. I don't think that it is a libelous statement to say that a lot of women feel that they are not respected by tutors, especially by the more revered members of the community. Again, this could be an imaginary sensation, or it could be real. It could be that the experience of a Christian philosopher reading the work of an ancient writer is similar to that of a woman reading the work of Aristotle, Rousseau, or Kant. At once affected by the wisdom of the work, the reader recognizes a great difference between her principles and those of the writer. The Christian philosopher must undergo a change of heart and mind while retaining his faith. A woman must undergo a change of heart and mind without adopting ideas which may cause her to degrade herself. There are quite a few very skewed views of womanhood expressed in the books we read here. I spent a lot of time freshman and sophomore year believing that every one of these views had to be responded to and repudiated. This distracted me from other ideas which were far more important. I have learned that spending hours grousing about the few paragraphs in which Aristotle discusses women are worth far less than those spent following his arguments and thinking about his other ideas. It is difficult to cultivate your mind in this way without betraying yourself, and without giving up some of your integrity. Although a celibacy, and priesthood. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Therefore, anthologies are precisely the place where who just can't respond to feel for Ms. Giles' statewomen and men can speak women in two places of their ment, in regard to her eduto each other without sex- body simultaneously. So cation at St. John's, "Sufwhy aren't we waging bril- fice it to say there were ual antagonism. Yes, there are men like liant campaigns on the countless times when I did that Texas governor who page? Why exclude them not feel free to learn, and I said of rape,"lie back and and gossip and sulk in a imagine there were others suffered the just try to enjoy it." And place marked "women's"? who Lastly, I cannot begin same .... We were all so yes, there are men in our seminars and elsewhere to speak of the contempt I angry." Suffice it to say I feel none of this. I r have felt second-rate eing female or felt that oint of view, whether rkably feminine or uline, was stymied. could it be that we d vastly different ? Could it be that, g on the blithe assumption that I am free, I earned, even commanded, that basic respect? Wherever there's a fight to be fought, creativity and craftiness will win it. Our women's anthology compels no man even to enter the arena, nor any woman who wants to compete in high places. The real contest must take place elsewhere. The core of the problem addressed by The Women's Anthology of St. John '.s College is not "being a woman at St. John's," as is claimed by the anthology's editors, but of being different. The same ills that affect some students at other colleges affect students here, and many of the same prejudices exist. You may claim that these ills show themselves less often here than at other places, and I would be unable to disagree. That does not mean that they don't exist here. Some people are more acceptable than others, and the others suffer for it. Being different and thinking differently can affect your education here as it can anywhere else. The format of classes aggravates the effect of these differences so that students feel it not only in their social lives but in their academic lives as well. The anthology indicates that women feel this -- ANGE MLINKO '91 �8 ~~~~~~~~~-,-~~~~~~~~-.-~~~~~~~~-9 Between the Fibonacci Numbers A Fibonacci number is generated by adding the two previous Fibonacci numbers, given that the first and second are 1. The first few Fibonacci numbers are 1, 1, 2, 3, and 5. These numbers have unexpected properties. For example, the golden mean is hidden between them. It is surprising that the Fibonacci sequence contains the golden mean because Fibonacci numbers are generated without using ratios and the golden mean is essentially a ratio. A golden mean is produced when a number is divided such that the ratio between its parts is equal to the ratio between the greater part and the whole. The greater part is called the golden mean. Given the equality of ratios, the smaller part has to the golden mean the ratio of 1 to 1.618. The method of approximation is demonstrated at the end of the paper. Both a number cut by the golden ratio and a Fibonacci number is the sum of two other numbers. But the similarity seems to end there. Any number cut by the golden ratio has parts in the ratio of 1 : 1.618. On the contrary, a Fibonacci number is equal to the previous two which are not in a fixed ratio. (See diagram 1) The golden mean: C is cut into parts A and B such that the ratio between A and B equals the ratio between B and C. The ratio between A and B is always 1 : 1.618. Suppose A= 1. Then, B = 1.168 and C = 1 + 1.618. B C=2.618 1 .618 A A=1 8=1.618 -- BRUCE FRIESEKE '93 person may ignore the issues concerning women, the tradition of great books, and St. John's in order to become educated, that does not mean that they do not need to be addressed. The Women's Anthology of St. John's College is wellconceived because it addresses these issues. I am especially impressed with the statement Jana Giles makes in the Foreword, address these issues in a way which does not hinder We were all so angry -- at our academic lives, and each other, at men, the this anthology will set a school, some abstract sys- precedent for doing so. tem, ourselves. 1 =1 3= 1.5 5 3 2 1 1 2 = 1.67 3 5 The Fibonacci numbers: and with the fact that, although it was anger which inspired the anthology, anger rarely appears in its pages. It is important that we The first and second are 1. Subsequent numbers are the sum of the two previous numbers. Therefore, the third Fibonacci number is 2 and the fourth is 3, etc. diagram 1 . I 'I I I �~~~~~~~~~-.-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~11 10 The ratio between Fibonacci numbers position number the ratio between them 1 : Fn-1 : Fn x .. F1 F2 1 1 : 1 .. F3 2 1:2 .. F4 3 2:3 Fs 5 3 :5 .. .. F6 8 13 21 5:8 8: 13 13 : 21 F1 Fa Fg 34 21 : 34 F10 55 34: 55 F11 89 55: 89 F12 144 89 : i 44 1 2 1.5 1.66 ... 1.60 1.625 ... 1.615 ... 1.619 ... 1.617 ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .618 ... 1.618 ... This leads to the question of whether there is a ratio associated with sequences whose terms are the sum of the three previous (See diagram 3). With this kind of sequence, the ratio between terms seems to approach 1 : 1.839 . This is only sightly higher than 1 : 1.618, the ratio associated with sequences like the Fibonacci sequence. If summing the two previous terms is associated with 1 : 1.618 and summing the three previ- ous with 1.839, then what would be the ratio associated with summing the four previous? To follow the pattern it should be sightly higher than 1 : 1.839 . An example of such a sequence is { 1, 1, 1, 1, 4, 7, 13, 26, 50, 96, 185, 357, 688 ... }. The ratio between terms approaches 1 : 1.929. A pattern which emerges is that the more terms which are summed, the higherthe ratio between them. The pattern is still indistinct because the se- summing the three previous terms position term the ratio between them Tn_ 1 : Tn :: 1 : X T1 1 : 1 T2 diagram 2 quences which have been generated do not make it clear if the ratio increases indefinitely as five, six or more terms are summed. The indistinctness is cleared up by an extreme case. The extreme case is the sequence whose terms are the sum of all previous ones. This sequence begins { 1, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128 ... }. Take a second look at these numbers and they seem familiar. Most are twice the one before them, so the ratio between T3 .. 1 3 T4 The ratio between the first few Fibonacci numbers is quite different than 1 : 1.618. Surprisingly, the ratio between bigger Fibonacci numbers approaches 1 : 1.618. Notice how closely the golden ratio is approached by the first diadozen of them gram The ratio between the eleventh and twelfth Fibonacci numbers is 1 : 1.618, but this is only an approximation of the golden ratio. The golden ratio is actually a ratio between incommensurables. Therefore, the ratio between Fibonacci numbers will never exactly equal it, since they are integers. The trend in the first few Fibonacci numbers leads one to believe that the ratio will continue to approach the golden ratio. Although it is difficult to prove thatthe ratio behaves this way, working from this assumption leads to interesting implications. For example, it is easy to create a hybrid sequence which is associated with the golden ratio in the same strange way. Just pick two numbers and add them together to get a third and continue similarly. As long asthefirsttwo are not equal to zero, the ratio between the numbers will approach 1 : 1.618. lfone starts with -1 and 4, the sequence begins { -1, 4, 3, 7, 10, 17, 27, 44, 71, 115, 186, 301, 487 ... }. The ratio between 186 and 301 matches the golden ratio to the nearest thousandth. It seems tha the golden ratio is associ ated with almost all s 3 1: 3 Ts 5 3:5 1.66... Ts 9 5: 9 1.80 1.88 ... 1.82 ... 1.83 ... 1.84 ... 1.838 ... T1 17 9: 17 Ta 31 17 : 31 57 31 : 57 T1o 105 57 : 105 T11 193 105 : 193 T12 355 193 : 355 T13 653 355: 653 T14 1201 635 : 1201 Tg .. .. .. 1.839 ... 1.839 ... 1.839 ... diagram 3 OLIS. �--------------------~c::::::;=::::::-~--.rr-12 1: sequences which sum preceding terms given the a term equalling ••• the associated ratio. ••• the preceding term. (all terms are the same) ••• the Demonstration tw 0 preceding terms (the Fibonacci sequence) 1 1 GIVEN a magnitude cut into greater and lesser parts such that the ratio between the lesser and the greater part is equal to the ratio between the greater part and the whole, FIND the ratio between the parts . 1 : 1.618. ••• the three ••• the f 0 ur preceding terms. 1 : 1.926 ••• the five preceding terms. 1 : 1.965 preceding terms. 1 : 1.839 STEPS: EXPLANATIONS: ... a II six preceding terms. preceding terms. 1 : 1.983 1 6) 1+B ,. 92 7) ••• the 2) 3) 4) 5) pick magnitudes A, B and C such that A : B :: B : C, C "" A + B and C > B > A > O suppose A -1 A : B :: B : (A+ B) 1 : B :: B : (1 + B) (1 )(1 + B) ... (B)(B) 1 + B - B2 8) 9) - 82 + B + 1 .. 0 given any coefficients a, b, c, and a(B2) + b(B) + c(1) .. o, then B "' - b ± j b2 - 4ac 2a given a ... (-1), b "' 1 and c ... 1, 1) 2 ... O diagram 4 them is 1 : 2. The ratio of 1 : 2 is the upper limit of the pattern (See diagram 4). Looking back, it seems that the Fibonacci sequence is just a specific case of a genus of sequences. The ratio associated with a sequence of this genus becomes closer to 1 : 2 the closer the generating rule is to the summation of all preceding terms. This train of thought has described some of the distinguishing characteristics of the Fibonacci sequence and some which it shares with other sequences. The vast number of implications calls to mind that it was the prolific mating habits of rabbits which led Leonardo Fibonacci to discover his famous sequence. In the following passage, Isaac Asimov paraphrases the passage in Fibonacci's book, Uber Abaci, in which the Fibonacci sequence was born. 1 mature. By the third month they have produced a new pair, so there are two pairs, one mature, one immature. By the fourth month the immature pair has become mature and the first pair has produced another immature pair, so now there are three pairs, two mature and one immature. You can go on if you wish, reasoning out how many pairs of rabbits there will be each month, but I will give you the series of numbers right now and save you the trouble. It is: .. .How many rabbits can be produced from a single pair in a year if every month each pairbegets a new pair, which from the second month on becomes productive... ? In the first month we begin with a pair of immature rabbits, and in the second month we still have one pair, but now they are 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144... 1 Asimov, Isaac. Asimov on Numbers. New York: Bell Publishing, 1977, pg. 48. -- OWEN KELLEY '93 10) then B "'-(1) ± + ~)OR u-~) ; 1) Bz( 12) B;' 1 + 2 1 3) A B :: 1 : -.JS 1 + 2) A can be any magnitude 3) since C .. A + B 4) since A - 1 5) product of extremes equals product of means 6) simplification of #5 7) subtract 92 from both from both sides of #6 8) commutative property 9) the quadratic formula 10) application of the quadratic formula 11) simplification of #1 o 12) given B > O 2 2 1 4) J(1)2 - 4(-1)(1) 2(-1) 1) to find the ratio between A and B .JS 2 the ratio between the parts, A and B: A : B :: 1 : 1.618 ... 13) since A = 1 14) 1.618 is an approximation of(~+~) This Demostration accompanies Owen Kelly's essay, "Between the Fibonacci Numbers" �The Man in the Burlap Beret If there is one undeniable truth of experience that I have found in this misguided world, it is summed up in ten syllables: Once a philosopher, twice a pervert. Some Greek hermit probably spent years of trial and error before that glorious revelation came to him, after another morning of stuffing his shorts with cucumber slices for the zillionth time. Of all the other kinds of truth, I only care to mention a few: sentimentalism is an art; philosophers do not exist; lessons in history are truly fascinating; andcontrivanceisonly pleasing when it is deliberate. As a gift and with reverence, I hold these in my hand. But I realize they perhaps need a little more cohesion to be worthy of your respect. So I curl my hand and close up my fist, but--alas!--what squishes out between my fingers is that: I am a pervert with a lecture to give. But I know you are not unfamiliar with thought it to be nearly midthis, so I will throw the goop day (1 :30, EST) so the shady tree looked like the anyway. perfect place to nap out the In 1833, a man who heat of the day and then would later become a continue on later that afterGreek hermit was riding noon or possibly after dinthrough Kentucky on his ner. He stretched out on one-speed Schwinn. His his side beneath the overname was Johann Sebas- hanging limbs about ten tian Bach and the date was feet from the trunk. Sleep March 3rd. The history had nearly descended lesson actually does not upon him like a thick, cotconcern Johann at all but a ton sheet--"Ain't no pajasign that he found hanging mas better than the denim from one of the lower limbs on my back"--when an erof an enormous tree. He rant breeze rifled through had found the tree purely the bluegrass which, in turn, by accident after his tickled his curled mustache. Schwinn exploded (the rear He shook his head sometire actually) and, throwing what violently, (The denial it into the ditch without pity of even simple advances, -- "Ain't no sense in truckin' however playful or innowith a bike gone flat" (Flat- cent, is an impossibility to ness in that day was re- the weak, but commongarded as the inability to place to the ascetic.) carry one's weight, as well rubbed his nose with a as impotence.) he took off tobacco-stained thumb, into the bluegrass hills to and was trying to find that cut his own road-- "Ain't no one so comfortable place thrill in followin' used roads for his head on his arm anyway." (The notion of when his dilated pupils opening the virgin way, and focused upon--a sign. the repulsion of the promis- Hanging from one of the cuous way of life, was then lower limbs. It was like one in that new, promising land of those "Historical Landmark" signs that accesan accepted belief). Well, after much quick- sorize forgotten monusand, a marsh of briars-- ments ("adorn them" some oh, and the field of grazing would say). Anyway, he crocodiles which his mem- sat up and woke up (This is ory nearly supressed--he the crucial moment, for if at last found something of he had not done so, the a path that led to the west. history lesson that now folIt was on this path that he lows would never have came into a small clearing been preserved for us). where in the middle stood Then he crossed his legs an enormous tree. He and began to read: 15 American Sycamore My .f4.{{iance witli tlie S k.y The sycaRaw I'm not. The hot grounds of war more belongs to Vitrified my heels; suede my face. a family of only I listen in the olive shade one genus conOf podiums, holding out For necessary evils taining about six species, three of which are native Still rooting us to the sky's Our Father. to the United Like an exorcist I fill old skins States. The With new swine, send them over other three are Cliffsides where they'd found The clover so sweet, found in Mexico, Central America, And to the prudes of peace preach only southwestern Asia, and southEarthquakes, volcanoes, riptides, tornadoes-eastern Europe. Gods' jealousies; and love teach For the winds that scatter All have deciduous, alternate, Scrap paper in the desert-palmately lobed Raw I'm not. Crying "sacred" won't save leaves, usually Lives contracts have expired. with a hairy undersurface. Some hush their hearts with one hand, Staminate and sign with the other. pistillate flowers I ask no help from the sky, are in separate, but I must be rawer. Must scrape my face with sand, globular heads on the same tree. rinse with water. The multiple trout is unique, and consists of many -- ANONYMOUS tiny, elongated seeds with upright hairs at the base which should lose their honey, the Spring. Conceive of this. break apart the when ripe. nightingale its song, if the The carnations and the The particular tree before meadow should lose its irises did open their eyes; au is a species that fre- dew, the earth should not the bears combed their hair. uently attains a diameter be less sweet, less en- The wind toss led the grass f 3 to 10 feet and a height tranced, less nourished if and the Sun shone his 100 feet with a wide- but for a consummate you. potency upon the land. reading crown. It is, perSycamore, my para- Conceive of this, for it was ps, the most beautiful mour. Thy hyacinth rarity a day such as this that also ation your eyes could of a classic race. Thou art beheld the conception of r look upon, if only for the blessed son, the corpo- Sycamore. name. Sycamore. Thy real incarnate of a dreamA ray of celestial gold e lobes enthrall me. ing Mother Earth and her tu med a furrow off erai loam my de- mate the Father Sun. art my into warm, luscious depth us nectarine. tt the bees the first day of and wandered through a �16 ~~~~~~~~~.-~~~~~~~~-,-~~~~~~~~-17 turn of dizzy heights. From the lips. . . Brilliance and a the zenith of conscious- dreamy sigh? It was the ness, he descended to the strike· of reflection and a horizontal and the brilliance kiss which bore Sycamore. from that Father's face melted into the trees and Anyone could tell he sunset grasses, to cool in was destined for something his wife's tossled hair. but grand. He was a dashing the falling twilight would young beau with poppies bring an inevitable dream. in his hair. The desire of Into the night issued faint every flower was upon him, murmurs and sighs. Her or nearly so, for they never scent filled the air with could catch him. His run of honeysuckle tingles and good luck was never farosebud delights. As the tigued: tulips bruised their greatness of the flame re- cheeks on his heels and flects the intensity of the snapdragons nibbled at his fire, the full moon that rose hair--sweet curls of wind burned with the glory of the from his speed. He ran Sun. Mother Earth floated through orchards with a in this dreamy warmth, the simple wave in passing to radiance of the reflection of the dense thickets of interher glorious mate. But a twining, lust-unminding cloud passed over the rhododendron arms. He moon and left her sus- danced across youth and pended, waiting as only a hillsides that smelled of cool belly can await the basil and sassafrass, gintouch of the close hand that seng and April Thyme: lingers to caress. Sus- what luscious fecund spice! pended. Then the cloud Call it by any name, and passed away and deep then sing it--Sycamore. plunged the light. The moon pierced the night; her He was a dashing young lips made to kiss the de- man in brown dungarees scending touch--lnto her He dug down his toes 'til mind th' diant moon had the ground met his knees la B the seed of a He pushed his arms up to am. The dream took touch the celestial skin, shape: and behold, Syca- So he would ever, forever more. Conceived as only smell of earth, rain, and glorious conceptions are: wind with brilliance and adreamy sigh, and a word. Kneeling, with arms Sycamore--the word raised, Sycamore smiled pierces the air like casted into the Spirit of god, and white light in the captive drank that spirit with passky; then it resonates sion. Father Sun beamed through the mouth to purse his warmth upon the smil-- OWEN KELLEY '93 ing young head. He shone his orange into the open hands and behold--Life was an orange that had peeled itself--the rind to the winds-and Sycamore licked his fingers, sticky with orange. A tall intoxication flooded his heart and tingled his spine. Arching, he grew -- forty feet, fifty, eighty, a hundred and ten feet tall. He held the heavens above on his shoulders so that all the creations below might breathe. Heaven may be the perfect home for some things, but other things, he knew, live only upon the earth, like the succulence of October apples, the awkward steps of a milk-laden goat, orthe richness of a pungent, fertile pasture. And he stands here today, still holding his burden--but with a fervent smile. Of all the wonders in this misguided world that flaunt their peacocked allure, this creation wants only an embrace, a reflection, and a kiss -- Sycamore. -- SHANNON WARDELL '92 �part four: Jump in the river 'Tlie :[arreffSong They take steps part one: the region between the ones who remain The ones who leave Undepictable (on paper, anyway) They try to escape Unpredictable Sometimes it works they go away We take steps The river lies between We try to restrain Sometimes it works and then they stay They can't return home. It can't be done twice. Not the same To those who never came THIS SPACE IS OFF-LIMITS but... so it's not about her. No convenient bridge exists. IT CAN BE CROSSED. Now, no. Will, yes. (it flows) What to do? What to do? Learn to swim. but never forever it can be crossed -- ROBBY NEASE '92 part two: We fall apart "If you go down to Hammond, you'll never come back ... " Those who leave may go to Hammond Their friends will tell them not to go Citing alienation And lack of education As reasons why the ones should not depart The reasons why will not suffice Those who leave must go Must, to escape perceived oppression They will go down to Hammond They will do as they please They will never come back. part three: The ballad of Naomi Duffort Can anyone recall Naomi Duffort? Does anybody else remember her? She survived for just four days. She was the first; there would be more. Never forget that we're fighting a war. 130 began; under 90 remain. Which ones can you remember? What other victims of the siege? The casualty list is too long to ignore. Never forget that we're fighting this war. She was the first; they continue to die. Who among us will be next to go? Never... Freshman's Thoughts on Dissection Since my arrival at St. John's I have been forced to question my previously held m convictions and t ideals I held about r e with an intensity and a fervor I didn't know i possessed. I often catch myself pondering and struggling with an idea that I had either considered petty or insignificant before my St. John's experience, or omething that I had yet to ive the justice of considring. To question and to oubt are exhausting pas- times, but ones that I see as becoming more and more important, as they play the lead role in reshaping those former morals and ideals, and in so doing reshaping me. Of these newconcepts which daily provide me with mental exercise, one that brings out a strong moral conflict is that of dissection. Although I had two years of biology in high school, the only other dissection I'd been asked to perform, before our first practicum in lab, was six years ago when we dissected squids in developmental science. I don't recall exactly how I felt about it. I do know, however, that since then I've successfully avoided dissections by instead taking part in various other bio- logical experiments and observations; successfully, that is, until the sheep's heart practicum in Freshman Lab. The difference between my experience in high school and now is that whereas before it was enough to say that I didn't want to do it, I must now explain why not. I'm being asked to explain my avers ion toward such am an ipulat ion of life beyond just saying that I don't think it's right. I admit that this isn't an easy task, but I'm willing to try to express my views concisely and clearly. I have long ruled out squeamishness as the cause of my objection. It's not that I can't or won't dissect because of fear of physical repulsion, but because I'm morally re- �11111·--------------20~~~~~~~~--.-~~~~~~~~-.~~~~~~~~- pulsed. In my attempt to lives is no different from scared me to see how easy it was to divorce myself from understand the basic rea- ours? I believe that the ani- the reality that the heart son for this moral conflict, I pulled out our first lab read- mals we dissect possess had once beaten inside a ing, Aristotle's Parls of Ani- something wondrous -- living creature, and by so mals. As I was paging both life and soul-- and just doing absolve myself of any through, a phrase which I cannot rationalize exercis- guilt. Purposely turning had underlined jumped out ing the power to con- away from reality in this at me, and I immediately sciously destroy that some- way makes me think that if recollected why I had found thing, divorcing it from the I can't admit and believe in the quote so powerful. It natural world, even if it were exactly what I'm doing, I reads, "For in all the natural for my benefit. There are shouldn't be doing it. Although I've stuck things there is something hierarchies of animals in terms of size, strength and strongly to my beliefs thus wondrous." It seems to me that the "something won- intelligence, but it would go far, I can see the numerous drous" to which Aristotle against my argument if I arguments someone might refers is soul; he's saying believed in a hierarchy in raise against mine. What that in all natural things which one animal was in about scientific research there is soul. Aristotle won general better than another and the advantage of me over with this statement animal. If all animals in fact hands-on learning in the the first time I read it, and I do have souls, then no laboratory? I do realize believe that the idea be- animal is better than any that without dissection hind it sums up the basic other when it comes down there would be a huge void of information in the field of reason for my aversion to the basics. Aristotle also says, science especially retoward dissection. I have, of course, no "Nature does all things for search that leads to adsolid evidence that animals the sake of something." vances in medicine. But have souls. The rationality Considering this statement, there is a significant differof my belief can go no fur- I don't feel morally in the ence between professional ther than the rationality of right deciding that the ''for- scientific research and the the belief that humans have the-sake-of-which" of any dissections we perform. In souls. It's held together by animal is for the sake of my lab we're just confirming alan intangible faith. I've yet dissection. Who am I to ready-proven facts -- facts we read in books and see to see it proven that, pro- decide? I realize that I won't be demonstrated in films. viding we have souls, a bullfrog has any less of a struck by lightning and sent a hands-on dissection does soul than we do. Just as to Hell the instant I take a provide us with a different we're giving ourselves and knife to a sheep's heart. perspective and may aid our souls the benefit of the My reluctance has little to us in learning, but I'm not doubt, I'm giving the bull- do with such a fear. When convinced that this justifies frog and every other living my lab partner and I took our killing and manipulatcreature the benefit of the the first steps in dissecting ing these animals. If classdoubt by saying that all the heart, I felt how easy it room dissections must be things of nature have souls. would be to deny the fact performed, would not one in which And ifthisbethecase, what that I was playing with a dissection life. I caught myself con- everyone took part be gives us the license as human animals to take the veniently forgetting where enough? What about my eating lives of these creatures the heart came from and meat and wearing leather when the essence of their treating it like a plaything. It ~~~~~~~-r~~~~~~~-.-~~~~~~-21 boots? Eating meat can be somewhat justified by saying that food is necessary for survival, but I'm finding it more and more difficult to slip on my leather boots without a voice inside me whispering, "hypocrite!" Yes, the education and atmosphere at St. John's are definitely forcing me to sifting through my emostruggle with and recon- tions. sider many of my thoughts. And even though I'm far from exhausting my thoughts on dissection, writing this and getting everything down in ink has helped me significantly in organizing mythoughtsand -- SARA ROAHEN '94 'Ifie !J{o{fowing of lier 'Ears The hollowing of her ears makes me yell "guzuntite" As her body fills up with peanut butter, I want to lick her Make me think about Mahatma Gandhi in a special sort of way, So that I don't put jelly on her feet, while saying "Nose lover" As the yellowish "food" cums out of her nose I realize she is an anthropod. But tell me why I love how cruel She treats me when I swim. When she tries to choke me me with her turtleneck sweater, I think how I assassinated the Principal. feeling the blood of a dead opossum. That I killed with a roast beef sandwich Give me strength to cut it open and become a hunter like the rest of you. Thinking Lady Oma I try to achieve what every man wants; to be friends with Liberace. Can it be that Shakespeare was a horny toad transformed by the kiss of a duck-billed platypus. The pressure put on me to wear a yamica makes me want to put my brain on the disabled list. As I go to the refrigerator I wonder if I am going to turn into a black football player. �letter bruises to my ego seem evident every time I try to watch the Cosby Show And see how unintelligent I am for not watching it every day of my existence. to a Military Father As my eyes slant I think I'm turning Pekingese Why are you looking at me so strange? -- STEVEN MATRICK '92 Faith 1 2 A child sits in a studio watching a movie -- a private viewing. Father stands close by, watching with her. When a scene comes up that will be harmful for Child to see, Father nudges her to hide her eyes (he doesn't cover them for her). Usually, she complies quickly, trusting his judgment. But often she hesitates, curious. Father's signals become more insistent & urgent (but still he does not cover her eyes). Either she slowly & reluctantly obeys his pressing, or she sits & watches the hurtful scene. Her eyes get scalded & she yelps (sometimes screams from severe pain). Hurriedly she shuts her eyes & puts her hands over them. Perhaps it is a while before she dares look again. Child stands under a bursting spray of cleansing water (sometimes rough on her tender skin). The dirt runs off her, or perhaps globs together & drops. It's good that she is being washed, she is glad. But she cups a precious mound of mud against her body with both hands, shielding it from the mean rain that wants to take her treasure away. Father looks at her & his eyes tell her what she knows already. Carefully Child uncurls her fingers & howls (in outrage? sorrow?) as she watches the last beloved bits trail off her fingers. She howls. -- CARMEN DENK '93 ..... It is difficult for me to believe that I may live through a war. It is even more difficult for me to fathom the effects and changes that will occur in my life. I am very frightened by the possibility of conflict and of the chaotic image the world now exhibits. As I continue with my daily routine, I become more aware of the meaning behind everything. The simplest things appear more complex, more precious to have. And, at the same time an air of uncertainty lingers over my entire lifestyle and more and more objects become ephemeral. I am frightened of the world and of myself. This war never seemed real until I spoke to a friend about the chance of him going to war. The look in his eyes was sad and serious. I worry for the soldiers and the families. I worry for you and for me. But more importantly I worry for those that are blind to the changes that are effecting the society. Things are no longer the same, everything will not be consistent. Students at St. John's read so many books and try to philosophize everything. But the students cannot philosophize the reality of this war. The war is here, it depends on everyone to deal with it. None wants to see people die or civilization be destroyed. But I think that people have to face death if we are to live. It surprises me how many opinions, even in an intellectual environment, are filled with emptiness. There are some that see the change, the turmoil, he possibilities that await them. They shudder with fear, and continue to face the next obstacle. I have friends that protested the war. I do not commend their fatuousness, but I respect their hope. I asked a friend what she was protesting and she said that it was not just this war but all wars. She also told me that she learned a great deal about herself at the march. She realized most importantly that a change was necessary in herself before she could attempt to change the world. But how does one tell a nation that is a medley of different ideas and opinions to change within itself? I have been so naive to think that the world would only change to suit me. I am trying to see the world more realistically. I never realized that there could be so many horrible things when there are so many extraordinary things. I just don't want to be blind anymore. I think this war is a forced opportunity to become aware of life and not just death. So, how are you? I wanted to thank you for the military jacket you sent, . It. .............. . � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Collegian Description An account of the resource The Collegian began as a student newspaper; became a college community literary publication in 1952 and continued until 1969; became a student newspaper again in 1969; discontinued publication from 1980 until 1989 when it again became a student literary publication.<br /><br />Click on <a title="The Collegian" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=26">Items in The Collegian Collection</a> to view and sort all items in the collection. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Page numeration Number of pages in the original item. 23 pages Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data paper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context The Collegian 8 February 1991 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1991-02-08 Title A name given to the resource The Collegian, February 08, 1991 Description An account of the resource Vol. II, Issue 4 of The Collegian. Published on February 8, 1991. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Brooks, Tequila (Editor) Mlinko, Ange (Editor) Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this publication. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource pdf Student publication https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/d2dfcb48859f75b7b3839240e5dd8493.pdf a3acda3824051ce4faf46c51c5f6bac7 PDF Text Text ipen;on of profotnd convictions often Ives in heroic non-con- riltY. but the person who selB out to be a non-conformist Is Jess ,m than a clown. - Roger l. Shim, The Existentialist Posture The Collegian first est. 1888 Volume II, Issue 5 The publishing policy of The Collegian is to treat all writers or artists and the pieces they submit with respect. It seeks to be an outlet for the intellectual and creative life of the community. Whether published or not, all material is welcome for review -- from students, staff, alumni and friends of St. John's. No revision will be adopted without the consent of the writer. Response is invited to any of the views expressed within these pages. Please address correspondence and criticism to Box 391 Campus Mail. NEXT DEADLINE: Thursday, February 14, 1991 Thmsday, February 28, 1991 The Self and Sexuality: JudeoChristian Influences on the Generation of Mores Three questions which torment the national psyche of the United States center around opposing views of what our attitudes about human sexuality should be, and what mores we should adopt. These are questions about abortion, the status of homosexuality, and about the rights of women. Traditional mores are changing constantly. Some may believe that this is due to corruption in our society, others that this is due to an increase in understanding and open-mindedness. Questions also come up which are not under the jurisdiction of law but which concern the status of premarital sex and contraception. No one can deny that these questions are confusing and uncomfortable to discuss. Any stance a person takes can be sub- BOOK REVIEW: Adam, Eve, and the Serpent PLANET THOUGHTS ON MENO Photo: MONT SAINT-MICHEL EFFECTS OF PORNOGRAPHY THE PEACOCK: POEM TRANSLATION MARXIST NOTES ON HEART OF DARKNESS PLAY REVIEW: Born Guilty CRITIQUE OF PURE FEMINISM Photo: ALL IN THE SAME BOAT SPEAKING THROUGH DOGS NOTES *Blues After Dark Adam, Eve, andtheSerpent by Elaine Pagels New Yo:-k: Random House Publishing, 1988 $17.95 ject to incrimination: either a person is called a libertine or a repressed prude, often for the same statement. Young people especially are affected by changing mores. No common standard has been determined for interaction between the sexes, one which would blend the new selfreliance and independence of women with traditional values we recognize as correct and respond to. On p. 1 p. 3 p. 5 p. 7 p. 8 p. 12 p. 13 BROOKS PAPPAS BRADSHAW MULDOON UMERLIK Appollinaire DOLAN MAS HOUR BELTZ COWAN MULDOON BARBERA p.20 VAN SAVAGE p.23 St. John's College, Annapolis, MD 21404 p. 12 p. 15 p. 17 p. 18 �2~~~~~~~r-~~~~~~--,~~~~~~~- a private level, a person asks, how do you distinguish between a romantic relationship and a friendship? On a political level, a person asks, how do you distinguish between artistically expressed sexuality and vulgarity? What argument can you conceive of which allows the Maplethorpe exhibit to be shown without uproar but which inhibits music groups such as 2-Live Crew and comedians such as Andrew Dice Clay from putting forth works which are hurtful to many people, which threaten the progress our country has made in ex- tending political dignity to all people, and which replace mores with schlock and brutality? Some of us are confronting problems our parants and grandparents did not have to confront. Many of our mothers and grandmothers did not have the opportunity to attend college; how can they give us advice when they have never experienced what we are experiencing? We are not Natashas protected from rapacious Kuragins by our aunts; we are not Cinderellas waiting to be pluckedfromourmiserable conditions by fairy godmothers and magical princes; we are not Annas of Green Gables who beSTAFF come united with ourfourthgrade sweethearts to have eight or twelve idyllic chHJeff Acker '92 dren. Each of us is at a Dianne Cowan '91 pinnacle personally; sociGeorge Dolan '92 ety itself is at a pinnacle. Robby Nease '92 Decisions m~ Molly Hinshaw '93 and there are few guideVanessa Stratton '93 lines to make them by. We Kelly Rock '94 risk losing the progress Dawn Beltz, GI made by women in the last 150 years and we risk losTequila Brooks . ing the charming and often Ange Mlinko editors reliable and protective mores of the past. Elaine Pagels takes up Kevin Dungey, faculty these difficult and imporadvisor tant questions in her book, Adam, Eve, and the SerSketches on pp. 12 & 13 pent. "Abrupt changes in by Paul Krause '93 social attitudes have recently become commonPrinted at St. John's place," she writes, "espeCollege Print Shop cially with respect to sexuL:::::=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=::::J ality, including marriage, r::::================::;l divorce, homosexuality, abortion, contraception, and gender. Whether we welcome these changes or not, they have altered the way we think about ourselves, how we act, and how we respond to the actions of others." With this statement, Ms. Pagels embarks on an investigation of how traditional mores came about. A major part of her thesis is that all of us, whether Christian or not, have had our values shaped by JudeoChristian ideas about the self and sexuality. Ms. Pagels found that most early Christian and Jewish writers did not compose treatises specifically on the topics of love, marriage, etc.; rather they wrote and thought aboutthe meaning of the words in the first few chapters of Genesis. For instance, in ancient Jewish sects the injunction "to be fruitful and multiply" was used to support practicing polygamy and divorce (if a woman was barren, it was acceptable for a man to take another wife or to divorce her, as the purpose of marriage was procreation). Theprimarydifference between ancient Jewish and Christian interpretation of Genesis centered around the words, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness;" (1.2~). This was taken by Christ and his followers to mean that all human beings are 3 equal in the eyes of God. Since all of us are made in God's image, each person is inherently worthy of dignity. Ms. Pagels narrows the time of the formulation of standard mores to the period between O and 400 A.O., between the lives of Christ and Augustine. Sexual customs in pagan Rome at the time of Christ ranged from what many of us today would consider moderate to practices we would be completely repulsed by; for instance, exposure of unwanted children to death (whatever our views on abortion, most of us would agree that destroying a live baby is murderous) and the use of slaves for their masters' sexual gratification. Ms. Pagels argues that our repulsion to such practices is a direct result of the influence of Christian attitudes. Among the more vexing questions Ms. Pagels explores is that of how sexuality came to be regarded as something which ls forbidden, even "dirty". roughout the book she veals conflicts between hristians and pagans in Pfanet Our birthright has not forever been forsaken. Only our quest is plunged in deception. Kindled by such desire as inspires a nymph, that is not aware how near mature and dead will be, we never take time to gaze into the scar of the first shove. For if we did, no longer would we be cut off, abandoned, forgotten. It is not easy. Think of our descent. Have you never questioned the manner of our embarkation on this journey? Have you never cried out for love, imprisoned in your cradle? Happy traveller. Are your wanderings over? So, tell who you are. We new Phaeakians are not fairy tale listeners. One word will do. Speak the beginning. -- PANAYIOTIS A. PAPPAS '93 ~--------~--------;;;;;;;;:J affairs, in which marriage etc. were considered natural, and that of abstinence in which they were considered sinful. In Chapters II and IV Ms. Pagels recounts the touching and beautiful tales of women who chose Christianity and over the cycle of childbirth and servitude in order to obtain freedom cated the idea that sexuality was sinful and unnatural. "Ever since Augustine," writes Ms. Pagels, "the hereditary transmission of original sin has been the official doctrine of the Catholic church" (p. His primary adversaries were Pelagius and Justin, who advocated a more of sexualAu- �po 4 suspect, its power lies (p. 147). For I rest my case on my innate duty -- a duty belonging to everyone in the sequence of generations to which (as man in general) I belong, though as regards the moral character required of me I am not as good as I ought to or can be --the duty so to affect posterity that it will become continually better (something that must be assumed to be possible). Immanuel Kant, "On the Proverb: That May Be True In Theory, But Is of No Practical Use" mits, its "good" includes physical suffering" (p. 136). The reasons that Augustine's views prevailed over those of Pelagius and Justin are complex. Two major ones can be isolated, however. The first one has to do with the corrupt political structure of the church at the time, and the other has to do with the harrowing spiritual nature of Augustine's works. Ms. Pagels depicts Augustine as a political as well as a religious man. A powerful figure in the church, Augustine easily persuaded other churchleaders to persecute his adversaries as heretics (this is what happened to Pelagius). After the deaths of Augustine and Justin, all of Justin's works were 110 c~trn·~ 1 or1 as heretical. The only record of his views is contained in a work of not translated Julian"). "After considerable controversy," Ms. Pagels writes, "the church of the fifth century accepted [Augustine's] view of the matter and rejected Julian's, having concluded that Augustine, the future saint, read scripture more accurately than the heretic Julian" (p. 143). While it is easy to see why political machinations led to the adoption of Augustine's views, not those of Justin, the other cause is more difficult to delineate. It has to do with the nature of the human spirit and the fundamentals of religion. Psychologically simple and compelling, Augustine's view accords with responses that, for many people, arise as if instinotively in the face of sufferhas this And Contra Julianum and denies Work Against lessness; in 1ntini~t1or1 ~---------------,-----------------.,----------------5 There are few souls in turmoil who are not moved the opening sentences of Augustine's Confessions. Augustine's words touch the part of our souls which reaches out for religion and spiritual sustenance, though some of his views constrain and frustrate us. While Adam, Eve, and the Serpent contains a complete and driving argument, its strength lies in the topics it alludes to. The questions Ms. Pagels brings up are too profound to explore thoroughly in such a small space. Yet she alludes to works and ideas which open the mind and extend the possibility for more thorough understanding. Her book is especially exhilarating for a student who may not be able to see connections between diligent study of ancient authors and keeping up with current issues. Some Thoughts on Plato's Meno "I swear you absolutely never stop talking about shoemakers and cleaners and cooks and doctors! As though our conversation were about them!" (Gorgias 491) Callicles thus accuses Socrates in the Gorgias. I confess I, too, have felt this very same sentiment, most recently while reading the Meno, where the subject at hand seems to be virtue and teaching, but Socrates talks at length and stubbornly about color and shape, and makes a starkly geometrical demonstration. In this paper I plan to show how Socrates' arguments about color and shape are relevant and even illuminating to the subjects of virtue and teaching. I would first like to examine Meno's paradox ·about the impossibility of learning. Meno says that either he knows something, ;and does not need to inire about it at all, or he is and norant of s no idea even how to in know it (80 d) rates does not refute does offer a myth of recollection as an alternative, and insults such doctrines as "music in the ears of weaklings." (81d) In a way, though, Socrates agrees with this "captious argument," since he sees Meno trapped within it. (Meno thinks he knows virtue, and has given speeches on it, and therefore does not even ask what it is.) I think that Socrates is attempting to work with three problems at once: (1) Meno's question, how virtue is acquired, (2) Socrates'own question, what is virtue, and (3) curing Meno of the paradox while respecting its truth. Meno's first answer to the question of what virtue is involves many different virtues, that of a man, a woman, a child, a slave, etc. What Meno said was reasonable enough, butthe answer was rejected as inadequate. This rejection does not mean that what Meno said was untrue, but that Meno does not know virtue entirely, and has only opinions about it. Socrates leads Meno to reject his answer to get him to admit that he does not know virtue, to begin the search in earnest, ratherthantodeny that the virtue of a man is different from the virtue of a woman. Socrates then embarks on a discussion of color and show what sort of and what might look like. It is as if Socrates had asked, instead of what is virtue, what is color, and Meno had answered blue, white, red, yellow. Particular colors, like particular virtues, do not make a definition of color or virtue. It turns out that the definitions of color and shape make no reference to the particulars, red or round, at all. Another curious fact about the nature of definitions that Socrates points out is that theyencompasscontradictory items, for example, straightness is absolutely notthe same as roundness, yet both are definitely shapes, one just .as much as the other. Perhaps this is to console Meno and concede to him the truth in his first definition. It is hard to say what Meno understands and when, but what should be going on in his head is that (1) he has opinions about virtue, not complete knowledge, (2) he needs a model for the definition of virtue, and some tools with which to examine, modify, accept or reject his opinions about it, (3) he is making progress, he is learning. Socrates next offers Meno definitions of color and shape "as practice for (the) answer about virtue." (75b) First, shape is the that always a~companies colors. leapanalogous situation for Socrates seems to be sug- �6~~~~~~~~---.-~~~~~~~~~....--~~~~~~~~- gesting that justice always accompanies virtue. (Compare 73b-e, and 78de) Meno is unhappy, since if he is ignorant of color, he is still in the dark about shape. True enough, but Socrates suggests thatthe statement is true, and even irrefutable, whether or not the student fully understands all the terms it involves. Thatthe "what is x" question is prior to judge- false. Socrates' discussion of right opinion (97b-d) is helpful here. He suggests that between ignorance and knowledge lies right opinion, which is in certain situations just as good as and even indistinguishable from knowledge. So if I am ignorant of justice, I am ignorant of virtue. If I know justice, (which places me back in the paradox, so I will not claim to) I know temperance, piety, etc. and demonstrates what defining virtue is like. After some preliminary steps, Socrates asks the slave boy the length of the side of the eight food square. The slave boy answers boldly, as if it were obvious. (Compare Meno, who thought virtue was obvious, and answered without hesitation.) Upon examination, the boy admits his answer is ments about wrong. What x's truth, f alis crucial sity, goodJu.stice here is seeness or bading that the ness is kinds of ansomething swers the we all need boy gives, to be rewhole numminded of. bers, will But Socrates always be does coninadequate. cede Meno's (Everyone point with his knows that definition of the length of shape as the the diagonal limit of a 'Wisiom 'Etc. is incomsolid, since mensurate Socrates with the makes sure side.) He that Meno is familiar with these terms. virtue. If I have right opin- does get closer and closer, However, I do not think ion, however, I am in good though, as he is able to see Socrates defines virtue as shape, although having that his answers are now that which is always ac- opinions necessitates their too large, now too small. companied by justice. I take constant refinement and Similarly, Meno seems eventually able to see the this statement as rather an reexamination. This brings us to the inadequacies and merits of aid to further inquiries, or a hypothesis, that shows us heart of the Meno, namely, his own answers. Socrates what to look for. Further- what Socrates does with then refrains from asking more, to define virtue in the slave boy. My opinion the slave to give him this manner would suggest is that the diagram in the exact answer (which is in that the definition of virtue sand is a model of virtue for way impossible) and dra will always involve terms Meno to work with, which the last diagram, showi with which one is unfamil- shows possible relation- what the answer looks lik If Meno has admitt iar. This is both true and ships among virtue, justice, F 7 Mont St-Micliel ~ranee -- AMY MULDOON '94 to himself that he does not know virtue, has followed some of Socrates' arguments, and is able to see that this diagram may be a model of virtue for him to work with, he would be in a position to learn the followg things. (1) Knowledge f virtue involves knowldge of justice and wism. Meno cannot be virus without being just, t can be temperate witht being wholly virtuous. ) Knowing virtue is like calculating the length of the side of the eightfoot square, each answer is but an approximation, and to stop calculating and say, "I know virtue" or "2.828" is to get a wrong answer. If Meno has a good memory, he walks away from his discussion with Socrates with a vast and formidable array of tools with which to examine the question of what virtue is; myths, quotations from the poets, examples of virtu- ous men, examples of definitions, and, most importantly, arguments. Further, to ask the question and search in earnest among friends is also to extricate oneself from the paradox, and even to begin to acquire virtue, for Socrates says "... inquiring after what we do not know will make us better and~-­ braver and less helpless ... " (86c) --SAM BRADSHAW, GI �The Effect of Pornography on Women and Children Pornographic magazines such as Playboy, Penthouse, and Hustlerare filled with images of women and children which satisfy male fantasy. These counterfeit images portray what a portion of the male population wants women and children to be and do for them sexually. Many people are ignorant about the treatment of those who are in the pornography business as well as the horror and perversity of many of these fantasies. I spent this humid summer doing some intense research on the topic of pornography. Pornography is defined as "the description of fem ale slavery." This definition comes from the Greek roots, "graphos", which means "writings about" or "description of", and "porno", which means "female slavery" or "prostitution". I will discuss first children, then women, as prostitutes and in pornography, and will conclude by showing how pornography promotes prejudice and racism. My focus will be on the effect that pornographic imagery has on women and children. My first reference is Children in Chains, written by Clifford Lindecker. Mr. Lindecker's book contains extensive research by Dr. Densen-Gerber, who founded Odyssey House to treat drug addicts and alcoholics, and Dr. Osanka, who teaches a course about child abuse at Lewis University in Illinois. Dr. Densen-Gerber discovered that almost all drug and alcohol addiction originates with sexual abuses such as incest and prostitution. When she made this discovery, Dr. Densen-Gerber began a crusade to end child prostitution and pornography. Children in Chains discussed many aspects of child pornography in an effort to inform society about this ugly reality. To begin with, most children in pornography were victims of sexual molestation at home. Children are emotior1ally and mentally damaged by this molestation. Young children are in a growth stage where they are learning about themselves and the world around them. If molested during this stage, a child learns that he/she does not have any control over his/her body: the molester dominates the child's body. In anal, oral, and vaginal intercourse, the child is the one penetrated; the person who penetrates controls the speed and intensity of the intercourse. The child is left in a helpless situation and feels violated. When the molester tells the child, "If you love me, you must have sex with me," the molester imprints ad istorted pe rception of love on the child's mind. By doing so, it fails to acknowledge love as an emotion. Eventually, most of these children run away from home because they can no longer cope with the molestation. Many of them become trapped in prostitution and pornography where their sexual abuse escalates into degradation and dehumanization. When children, for any number of reasons, run awayfrom home, their main goal is to survive the harsh realities of the streets, which include prostitution and pornographers. Pimps usually find helpless and naive runaways in busterminals, local arcades, and other places where children often gather. The pimps offer these children food, drugs, an ear to their problems, and/or a place to stay for the night. Children often eagerly accept the pimp's invitation to stay at ~~~~~~~~.-~~~~~~~.-~~~~~~~9 his place because they are commonly used as a front not accept a man's penis or lonely and afraid. for pornographers is the any other large object unlnitiation into pornog- Church. Reverend Clau- less it is inserted forcefully. raphy and prostitution dius Vermilya used the Children are also suscepbegins when a child enters Episcopal Church in Alto, tibia to venereal diseases a pimp's home. Sometimes Tennessee, to establish which can result in hysterthe pimp employs the child Boy's Farm Incorporated in ectomies for young girls. through simple verbal per- 1971. Vermilya informed Children ranging from suasion. In other cases, theAltocommunitythatthe infancy to young adulthood the pimp may beat and/or purpose of Boy's Farm was can endure broken limbs, rape the child, or destroy to help troubled teenage severe beatings, malnutrithe child's feeling of self- boys. Actually, Vermilya tion, neglect, rape, andvariworth by having a man or photographed these boys ous sexual activities with men rape and then throw performing numerous sex- other children, adults, and money on him/her. When ual activities and then sold animals. Some children fall money is thrown on the the pictures tovariousindi- preytoviciousslasherfilms child, he/she learns that he/ viduals throughout the which explicitly show them she is merely a commodity country. Another organi- being dismembered and to be bought. zation frequently abused by disemboweled or violently Children work for pornographers is camp. raped and murdered. Chilpimps for these reasons: Gerald S. Richards created dren endure this suffering their lives are threatened, a nature camp for boys in in the pornographic industhey feel obligated to the North Fox Island during the try in order to fulfill someman who helped them, or mid-1970's. In this camp, one's perverted fantasy. Pornographic horrors prostitution allows them to Richards and his assistants support their drug and/or taught the boys many sex inflicted on children are also alcoholaddictions. Further- acts. He also placed the inflicted on adult women more, as a means of pro- boys' photographs and who are involved. Tostudy moting, maintaining, or sexual specialties into this particular aspect of starting a business, pimps newslettersandcatalogues pornography, I referred to and pornographers trans- which he mailed to several the book Take Back the port these children to vari- customers throughout the Night, edited by Laura ous cities and countries world. Many of these cus- Lederer. Her book, a colwhere they entertain cus- tamers visited the boys at lection of articles and extomers in movies and per- the nature camp where they cerpts from books written sonal services. These are freely abused them. by women, provided mova few of the conseThese examples make ing insight into pornograquences that runaways it plain that any innocent phy. Pornography proencounter when pornogra- child can become involved prostitution snatch in pornography. motes an ugly image of them up. In addition to being women. Beverly LaBelle, deceivedbypornographers a contributor to New and emotional and Women's Times (a femin::arn!:ln10inflicted on nist newspaper in Rochesthese children may ter, stated that porsuffer from serious cal to his/her small about l-'rr1n~,,.,~,~r1~ is the and the �10~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ psychological manipulation of a society into believing a particular ideology. In order to succeed in the particular propaganda pornogengages in, certain must be emThe first technique is stereotyping. Stereotypcreates a false image of women by showing that women always desire to serve men, and believe their bodies to be their greatest asset rather than The their intelligence. second technique is "name substitution": women are not called "woman" but rather "cunt" and "tramp." The third method employed is "selection" which drowns the reader with the pleasant aspects of pornography rather than showing its harmful effects. The fourth is simply "lying" such as when women are pictured enjoying painful and horrifying activities such as shoving butcher knives into their vaginas. The fifth and sixth steps are "repetition" and "assertion" where the ,,..,..,,..,."'t"ntlu born- people in our society. Other women expressed their thoughts and feelings on the issue in Take Ba.ck the Helen Longino, a teacher of .... i-.;i,...,. ............. ,at the pornoof women as on and inferior to men. She out that pornography fails to acknowledge human dignity, since it violates the individual. Diane Russell, associate professor of sociology at Mills College, stated that by legalizing pornography, the public learns to condone the objectification of women. Beverly LaBelle described the film "Snuff", which showed the actual dismemberment and disembowelment of a woman. This woman's mutilation involved the chopping off of herf ingers, arms, and legs, as well as her disembowelment res1umrm from her butcher's uncontrollable nrf'11~o;:,1m1r These Russell learned that most women in pornography hate themselves because realize that their sole purpose in life is to the male sex drive rather than to pursue their own endeavors. Their self-esteem quickly diminishes as melt into the pornographic world. likewise, in her two books, Ordeal and Out of Bondage, Linda Lovelace described her experiences in pornography in an attempt to inform society about them. The library only provided me with Out of Bondage. Ms. Lovelace first entered the pornographic industry as a desperate runaway when she was eighteen. She met Chuck Traynor who offered her a place to stay and food to eat which she naively accepted. That night, she innocently entered a hotel room with Chuck where she encountered five r ~~~~~~~~-.-~~~~~~~~-.--~~~~~~___;11 insanity, but still doing it, still urinating on another human being." Ms. Lovelace endured her final act of dehumanization in the movie "Deep Throat". During the filming of this movie, Chuck Traynor beat her because she ref used to participate in the filming. She would "fall to the floor, rolling myseH into a tight ball, protecting my stomach and breasts from his boots." While Ms. Lovelace was brutalized, the other filmers made no attempt to rescue her. Luckily, after this movie, she managed toescapethismadnessand inhumanity. After her escape, she met Larry Marchiano who, through his love, helped her. After suffering nu merous emotional hardships and mental struggles in order to cope with her horrifying experiences, she wrote an autobiographical account to show women involved in pornography that they can make a better life for themselves. Out of Bondage exposes the ugliness of pornography and rekindles the self-esteem these women feel had disappeared. In addition to promoti?g abuse and objectif icat1on of women and children, pornography participates in ,a di~tortion of blacks and sb1ans. Lusiah Teish, ut.hor of Dirty Laundry, h1ch describes sexism in e Black Power Move- ment, stated that blacks in pornography are portrayed as "ugly, sadistic, and animalistic, undeserving of human affection." Also, Alice Walker, the author of Goodnight Willie Lee, I'll See You in the Morning, stated that in more violent pornography, black women are bound, chained, and/or beaten, mainly by white men. These kinds of images play upon the pre judices of our society and fuel them. Charlotte Bunch, the founder of Quest (a feminist quarterly) wrote on the distorted way pornography depicts lesbian love. Pornography portrays lesbian love as violent and deg rading. According to Ms. Bunch, who happens to be a lesbian, this is not the case in most lesbian love which is mainly compassionate and loving. As in the case of racism, pornographypreysupontheprejudices and fears of society regarding lesbianism. Aside from the women involved, pornography arouses anger and disgust inmanywomenwhomerely notice it on the magazine racks or in the video stores. Susan Brownmiller, the authorof Against Our Wills: Men, Women, and Rape, stated that the majority of women find pornography disgusting and degrading because of the distortion of women as sex toys, to be abused and discarded. Pornography definitely troubles many women in our society. I hope that awareness of a quiet yet painful aspect of pornography will open your hearts and minds to the immense cruelty infleeted on these people. H you decide to read any of the books I ref erred to in this article you may notice with regret the old copyright dates. In my pursuit for current information on pornography, I discovered nothing. I went to the Howard County Library in Columbia, Maryland and milked their databases (especially ERIC) dry, and left empty-handed. This discovery disturbed me because the average citizen is denied this information on pornography. Fortunately, I was not scared away by this and searched the bookshelves until I unearthedthedetailsofthe ugly and horrifying aspects of pornography. -- THERESE UMERLIK'93 �F ~------------------------------o-----r------------~13 ~~.q,._q,~~~~c.D>cQ">~~.q.~ Some Marxist Notes on Heart of Darkness: Part I am, admittedly, illequipped to wholly comprehend the literary genius of Conrad's Heart of Darkness. However, I wish to provide the reader with one significant, though perhaps unorthodox, interpretation of the work. The following series of notes shall illuminate Conrad's novel as a Marxian allegory. I have taken great pains to ensure that my four weeks of writing on Marx have enabled me to recognize the Marxian themes, and not merely fabricate them. Though my Senior essay was opposed to Marxian doctrine, the reader will find that these reflections are from a thoroughly Marxian vantage point. Let us proceed to invert the literary shell of Heart of Darkness, and discover the rational kernel within. I. A Depiction of Primitive Accumulation 'I1ie Peacocl( £ePaon As he spreads his feathers, this cockerel, Whose plumage trails along the grass, Is even now very beautiful, Despite his baring us his ass. En faisant la roue, cet oiseau, Dont le pennage traine terre, Apparait encore plus beau, Mais se decourvre le derriere. a <;ui[{aume fJl.po{[inaire ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ inquire about the origin of these relationships, particularly the relationship of capital and labor. The proto-capitalist, according to Adam Smith, must have a "previous accumulation" of products as a necessary precondition of a capitalist mode of production. The laborer, of course, needs nothing but his own labor power. How, in fact, did the capitalist come to acquire this primitive accumulation? Why does the laborer possess nothing but his own labor power? Marx retells, trenchantly, the bourgeois sermon of the economic original sin. Despite such "insipid childishness," Marx accounts for the formation of the capital/ labor relation with an historical fact He explains it thus: We find the relationships of capitalism in what Marx terms a "never-ending circle, .. i.e. a series of economic categories mutually conditioning one another. The process, It is therefore necessary to which creates the relation can be nothing other than the process which divorces the worker from the ownership of the conditions of his own labour; it is a social process by which operates two transformations, whereby the social means of subsistence and production are turned into capital, and the immediate producers are turned into wage-labourers. So-called primitive accumulation, therefore, isnothing else than the historical process of divorcing the producer from the means of production (Mp. 874). With this in mind, let uSc examine a slightly differe form of accumulation --th accumulation depicted i Heart of Darkness. Th' acquisition is primitive in location, certainly, but also primitive in its for The natives of the land not members of a capit Translated by GEORGE DOLAN '92 <.Q">~~~~c.Q"i~~~~~t.b>~ system (they produce for individual consumption), and we are therefore presented with a possibly new formation of capitalism. As I have mentioned, we may safely assume the natives are in a form of non-commodity production which has its end in personal consumption. Upon the introduction of the capitalist, however, these conditions are altered. The natives then become "enemies" and "criminals," and are therefore coerced into laboring for the great white upholders of justice. Rather than enslaving them forthright, the English have instead thrustthe natives into the economic category of "labor," while their native land is thrust into the category of "capital." The pilgrims have now set the stage--capitalistproduction may begin. Let the reader note, once that the natives have not simply been taken as slaves, but have been turned into wage-laborers. Thefollowing quotation evidences this, as well as the enthusiasm of our new initiates of capitalism. They were dying slowly-- it was very clear. They were not enemies, they were not criminals, they were nothing earthly now -- nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation, lying confusedly in the greenish gloom. Brought from all the recesses of the coast in all the legality of time contracts, lost in uncongenial surroundings, fed on unfamiliar food, they sickened, became inefficient, and were then allowed to crawl away and rest (C p. 44). well as a vivid description of a severe estrangement of labor-- the natives have undergone a complete loss of reality. The essence of primitive accumulation, as presented in Heart of Darkness, is force. Marlowe states this quite explicitly. They were conquerors, and for that you want only brute force... They grabbed what they could get for the sake of what was to be got. It was just robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a great scale, and men going at it blind -- as is very proper for those who tackle a darkness. The conquest of the earth ... is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much. What redeems it is the idea only. An idea at the back of it; not a sentimental pretence but an idea; and an unselfish belief in the idea -- something you can set up, and bow down before, and offer a sacrifice to... (C pp. 31-32). Marx uses precisely the same language to describe the process of primitive accumulation. In actual history, it is a notorious fact that conquest, enslavement, robbery, murder, in short, force, play the greatest part. (Mp. 874). We have now witnessed It should now be clear to the completed process of the reader that Conrad as presents us with an illus- �15 Mr. Mashour's essay wm be concluded in the next issue. Major References: Karl Heart of uairJ<m~ss. Penguin 14~~~~~~~~.-~~~~~~~~..--~~~~~~~~ tration of primitive accumu- To tear treasure out of the ance in the process of prirnilation in complete accord bowe/s of the earth was tive accumulation. with Marxian doctrine. The their desire, with no more Curiously enough, we natives have been divorced moral purpose at the back later find a diametrically from their means of subsis- of it than there is in burglars opposed image. tence and production -- breaking into a safe (C p. their land -- and have been 61). It came in sections during forced to become wagethe next three weeks, each laborers. II. Triadic Symbolism section headed by a donIt is also of the utmost key carrying a white man in importance to note that This section, rather than new clothes and tan shoes, Marlowe has touched on possessing an independ- bowing from that elevation the concept of ideology by ent significance, will be right and left to the imaffirming "the idea" as the helpful to frame the ques- pressed pilgrims. (Cp. 61). redeemer of the violence tions and relationships to of primitive accumulation. be examined in the next. "Tell ye the daughter of Holding the economic When one hears "triadic Sion, Behold, thy King means of production and symbolism," one immedi- cometh unto thee, meek subsistence -- and there- ately thinks of the Holy Trin- and sitting upon an ass ... ; fore the intellectual ones -- ity. What might Christianity This image is more notably the ruling class is able to have to do with capitalism? Christian than the presence produce a justifying ideol- While they superficially of the triplet. What was, in ogy (such as a particular appear antithetical (the fact, corning was "an invaphilosophy or religion) that former concerning the spiri- sion, an infliction, a visitamay be reified. The reifica- tual, the latter the mate- tion." This particular triad tion of the idea engenders rial), we shall now find evi- provides a transition from the appearance of an ob- dence of a possible rela- the Satanic to the Christian jective ordering of mankind tionship through Conrad's images: "invasion" refers independent of man him- triplex symbolism. Con- to the three devils of primiself. This ostensible order sider the following quota- tive accumulation, "inflicis simply a pretence to tion of Marlowe. tion" may refer to either mystify the laboring class Christ or the natives, and as to the origin of their I've seen the devil of vio- "visitation" conjures up condition. The "economic Jenee, and the devil of images of angels. original sin" is such an greed, and the devil of hot We see, therefore, that example. The bourgeois desire; but, by all the stars! Conrad has intertwined the preach the tale of how once these were strong, lusty, religious with the capitalis"there were two sorts of red-eyed devils, that tic. While one may be people; one, the diligent, swayed and drove men-- tempted to interpret this intelligent, and above all men, I tell you (C p. 43). simply as capitalism bein frugal elite; the other, lazy the new "lord of the land," rascals, spending their Marlowe describes a Me- assure the reader that th substance, and more, in phistophlian trinity, with connection will be reveal riotous living ... " etc., etc. In violence, greed, and hot to be rn uch more profou this case of primitive accu- desire bearing at least a Let us conclude this tran mulation, however, Mar- lyrical relationship to Fa- tional section by refer lowe dispels any manner of ther, Son, and Holy Ghost. to some triadic symbol moral pretense. These three devils have in Marx. In Capital, already made their appear- often finds triadic mo 1989: c no means is the J::nrmu11a of Volume Ill of Thomas K. in his essay "Toward a Reading of Capital," states the following: The referenee of the chapter's title is to the Christian trinity, which Marx likens now to the three great ele- spE:ic1f1c references available on from author. • ""'"II ......... the Formula may be the climax of Capital ~self. While the elements of the trinity are not pertinent to this discussion, we must note Marx's acute awareness of a relationship between capitalism and ChrisSimpson subsequently tianity. claims that, while assuredly --GEORGE the climax of Volume Ill, MASHOUR '91 ments of the conventional theory of capitalism, the theory that corresponds to capitalism's perception of itself-- what Marx regularly calls, the "bourgeois theory.' a couple, Egon (a young doctor who held Nazi viewpoints much like his father) and Sybille (who used sex both as a way of rebelling against her father and as a substitute for the lack of love she received as a Act II focuses on Suzanne's son Dieter as he deals with his classmates was made when he was workand �~~~~~~~-r~~~~~~_;_,--~~~~~~17 16~~~~~~~~--.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ to know as much as possible about the evils committed in the past in order to insure that they are not Likewise, is repeated. exposure of the crimes enough? Or must one confront those who are guilty? What would such confrontation hope to accomplish? Of course, a play is composed of both content and form. As I hope has been made clear, the content of "Born Guilty" was wholly satisfying. Happily, the form was equally pleasing. To begin, I found the theater itself to be ideal. As the name (Arena Stage) implies, the stage is in the center of the theater, surronded on all sides by the audience. This allows the audience to interact with each other as well as with the players on stage. This type of theater can pose problems with staging and blocking. However, the director, Ms. Zelda Fichandler, easily overcame this obstacle and used the shape of the theater to her advantage. The actors and actresses had a natural way of speaking their lines both to each other and to the whole audience. Even when seated they were able to engage the entire audience in Tr e final of Born a manner that did is March 3. Please call the not seem at all contrived or box office at for ticket and in- forced. Sets and formation. props mini- beyond being about the descendants of Nazis. Although this was its only theme, it somehow compelled you to relate it to yourself. "Born Guilty" was so intensely personal that the problems of the characters became my problems. I was forced to ask myself how I would feel if I discovered that one of my parents or grandparents was guilty of some loathsome wrong. Would I reject this parent or grandparent outright, after having spent all of my life loving him or her? Would I feel guilty by association? Would I seek to correct the wrong in some way? Or would I totally rebel against all structure and authority, paradoxically feeling both that it had abandoned me and that I was somehow responsible? Not only did "Born Guilty" strike a personal chord in me, but it encouraged discussion of a more universal nature. After the play, Ms. Forbis (my companion for the evening) and I drew parallels in United States history: slavery and the treatment of American Indians. We asked if it is enough to live without prejudice or must everyone seek mal, so sound and lighting were used to intensify the atmosphere. It is amazing how one simple sound can instantly transport you to a In the specific place. scenes which took place outside, the noise of birds chirping immediately brought me to a park in spring. Hearing the noise of a train between scenes told me not only that the main character was travelling, but also that he was taking a journey into the past. As a whole, the play was well acted, with the exception of one actor whose timing seemed to be a bit out of sync with the rest of the cast. Mr. Harold Perrineau, Jr. especially impressed Ms. Forbis and me with his portrayal of a high school student who makes some disturbing discoveries about his grandfather. Adolescents in general often behave in overly emotional and melodramatic ways. To portray such a character without becoming embarrassing is nearly impossible, but Mr. Perrineau did so easily. I am certain that I have neglected to mention many wonderful aspects of the Arena Stage's presentation of "Born " I can only strongly urge everyone to. attend. At first I was rather inter- finished. I closed the cover ested in this book. Pain- on Femininity, knowing that fully aware of double stan- I would have to seek my dards, I hoped to find here identity as a female person a way of maintaining my within myself. of identity as a woman withI have chosen my title out falling prey to arbitrary because, like Kant, I do not ideals of femininity. Early plan to set forth a detailed in the book, Brownmiller system of philosophy. documents the struggles Rather, I hope to give Quite by accident, I which women once had to women and men a starting spent the last four months go through in order to do point from which we may of my year off entirely in the the simplest things that we begin to live with sex differcompany of women. I take for granted--wearing ences more sanely. I do worked with five women in pants, for example. For not claim to give an anthe southeast of Baltimore. this, 1 admired these swer. After Kant, there I lived with two women in a women. I did not admire must be more, if we are to Susan Brownmiller. Com- use reason to further the tiny apartment across the street from Johns Hopkins. pared to Susan B. Anthony sciences. Similarly, I offer . and Margaret Sanger, she only the beginning, knowMen h came mto my office was a b1'tter shrew, a rebel mg t hat we have the hard . · for t e morni~g, strutted without a cause a woman and fretted their hour upon h 'd 'd h If work cut out for us. I will begin by stating the stage, and then were w 0 consi ere . erse d Oth born too late to get mto the clearly that I am not a fem ihear: no more. e. r fray. So she wrote r i c::em1·- rnst. I do not see myself · women w ho have hear.d t h1s ni·ni'ty. 1k ept rea d'mg, hop- merely in terms of my sex. . story have expressed mter- 'ing th at , aft er s he 1 . hed I mistrust "-isms." They mis est or even envy. I am b' h' d .. 't' th' rt' t itc mg an whmmg, she have the twofold effect of wn mg 1s a 1c1e o carId .. . t k . wou offer some pos1t1ve limiting us to a particular re ct th e mis a en 1mpres- · . h . · th t d 'th ms1g t on bemg a person category and of excluding s1on a we can o w1 out h h t b f . w o appens o e ema 1e. all who do not fit into that members of ~he opposite Instead she told me that category. Thus feminism sex. I was miserable. To ' . . she refused ever again to limits women to that part of keep my baIance, I imf W h' wear dresses, because them which is female, while po rt d 1 e men ~om a~ .n~- fashion is a double stan- excluding all who are not ton, Annapolis, and V1rg1rna d d S h for dinner parties. ar . eve.ra 1 c apters female from their lives. .t later, she wntes that she Susan Brownmiller sought Our apa rt men t was l1ered with feminist and ran ou~ to the. drugstore to to divorce herself from all sb'ian l't t W buy Miss Clairol, because that was male-influenced-I era ure. eary h . . Don Quixote, I would s e simply couldn't with- and, with hair dye in hand, ad books about lesbian standthepressurethatmen failed. ve affairs, books in which put on her to look younger! This is the paradox of men We re th eon Iy c har- At that moment the book extreme feminism. On the d . cease making sense. I one hand, the feminist ers , booksa bo utwomen k . bo k b new I would not f md here strives to break away from 0 hated 0 menwhomhent 'd s Y what I was looking for. the white male oppressors a e men. 01 D 't h t I . last type was Susan es~1 ~ w a wrote m my (why, I wonder, are the wnmiller' F .. .t adm1ss1ons essay, not all oppressors always white emmtm y. books are of be'1ng an d ma Ie. ). o n the other ? s A Critique Pure Feminism •e. �18 Jll{[ in tlie Same 'Boat -- AMY MULDOON '94 : I hand, she strives to be just like the very men she wishes to avoid. For example, in acourtcasesome years ago, the National Organization for Women sided with an employer who ref used to grant maternity leave to a recent mother. Employers, they reasoned, do not see fit to grant such leave to male employees! What the NOW failed to acknowledge was that maternity is different from paternity. By striving to make the sexes exactly the same, they hurt both the woman and her child. While men and women should be treated as equals under the law, those very laws should take into account that the sexes are not absolutely equal. I think that our goal of legal equality often becomes confused with a sort of sameness. I do not believe that men and women are identical. The overwhelming evidence shows me that we are not. Whether the difference between men and women is genetic or societal is a moot point. As Hume says, the oft-invoked state of nature is a theoretical construct which never existed in practice. We are social animals. Societal differences usually come about because society needs them. We cannot throw them out wholesale. We must continually reevaluate them to see what is still useful and what is not. I think that the very differences that radical feminists try to eliminate are the ones that make our ~ociety lively and interesting. Women should not seek absolute equality with men. If we could do so, we could do without men, since we could fill their shoes. I live without men last summer. do not choose to do so I listen to Don Giovanni. again. I like the variety of This relationship to the living in a society. In short, world allows me to use the I am not about to give up copula to describe myself. my dresses. In English we do not ordiTo be sure, male sex- narily say, "I possess shortism exists. But why re- ness," but, "I am short." spond to it with female Thus the copula has two sexism? I recognize double uses: to relate an attribustandards. I have worked tive to the subject of the for employers who were sentence, and to identify male sexists. Some women the subject. An attributive are oppressed by some copula gives a small men. But we must remem- amount of information ber, if we are to keep our about the subject, while an sanity, that we are first identical copula exhausts humans, then male or all its characteristics. Thus female. When people hurt the sentence "I am short," us, no matter what their is attributive; "I am Dianne," motives, what they hurt is is identical. We use similar us, not the woman or the language to answer the man in us. To make this questions, "Who am I?" and more clear, I would like to "What am I like?" examine the way in which I have gone to such language expresses my length to examine our uses relation to the world. of the copula because I The answer to the think that the sentence, "I question, "Who am I?" am a woman," is an attribuundergoes continuous tive statement, not an idenchange, as we find our- tical one. The word selves in shifting· relation- "woman" does not exhaust ship to our environments. all that I am. Just as I am My self-awareness hinges aware of my height only on several factors. I am when it helps or hinders me five foot three inches tall, in particular situations, I am female, anglo-saxon, a conscious of my femalegood mathematician, a bad ness only in certain circummusician, nearsighted. stances. When I put on a These things are not who I skirt, I know I am a woman. am, but each helps define When I have sexual enmy self-awareness at par- counters, I know I am a ticular moments. I am not woman. When I cry, I am conscious of these factors reminded I am a woman, at every moment. I am because worn en are still aware of my height when more likely to cry than men. the book I want is on the top When I confront a Proposishelf, my mathematical skill tion from Euclid, I am not when I open the Principia, aware that I am a woman. my musical handicap when Triangles have nothing to do with femaleness. Keeping this in mind, we women who have chosen not to be feminists can formulate an alternative to female sexism. I have given examples of women who would like both to cut themselves off from men and to become just like men. I think that they would like to usurp men's roles in society, just so that they can get rid of men. But if they really hate men so much, why would they ever want to be like them? When I do mathematics, these fem inists would say, I am just like a man who does mathematics. Therefore I am equaltomen. Thisiswrong. When I do math, I am like any other person who does math, and sex has nothing to do with it. My relationship to the world is determined by my sex only sometimes. I propose as an alternative to male and female sexism that we begin to explore ourselves in the world. This is harder, because it is not black and white. It is easy to eliminate half the population from our reckoning. What is harder is to admit that not all differences are sex differences. Once this is given, we have an even more difficulttask. We must strive to understand the real ways in which sex differences define who we are in relation to our world. SinGethese differences exist, we should embrace the ones �-------------------------.-------------------------.----------------------~21 20------~~----------,---~------~---~----,-------~~---~---~ I tried reason: a firm but rational voice. Finally, I returned to rhetoric, speaking loudly and at a pitch higher than usual for me. Basil wasn't interested in anything I had to say. Within minutes, Basil's mistress crossed the same parking lot. She too was standing on my front door -- DIANNE J. COWAN '91 stoop. At this moment, Basil became a medium. m111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111m1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111aj His mistress said: "Basil, you're a very bad dog. making his way across the Shame on you for chasing asphalt, dodging in and out after that man. He wasn't of cars, cats, kids, and let- doing anything at all to you. ter carriers. He was hom- He wasn't bothering you ing in on me. one bit. Bad dog, Basil. Basil is a basset That man was just standhound, having the confor- ing on his front stoop. Bad mation of such, who has dog I" entered his golden years. Basil's rage was undiThus he took some time to minished by his mistress' Dogs are media. At get to my stoop. He barked admonitions, and he conleast we humans use them and howled for the entire tinued to bark and howl at as media. This occurred to trip. My first thought was to me. I held the door ajar to me recently when, within meet Basil head on, ascer- facilitatecommunication. In the span of a week, several tain the problem, rectify it, his state of frenzy, the most human beings spoke to me and seek reconciliation. As that Basil could possibly through their dogs. The he neared, I decided to do have understood from hi first communication took my ascertaining and rec- mistress was: "Basil, place immediately after I onciling from the other side ... bad dog." Such meag had returned to my apart- of the glass door at the and conventional exhort ment building from a run. frontoftheapartmentbuild- tions were not going Standingonthefrontstoop, ing. Basil came right up to dissuade him from sweating, I heard the fran- the door, sad-eyed but mission. The mistr ticyetponderousscamper- barking and yelping, with repeated her rema ing of feet and the telltale saliva dripping from his about how I hadn't d jingle of dog tags. Atthefar flabby jowls. Apparently anything to disturb B end of the parking lot, at my mere presence, or at adding: "You're getti least a hundred yards least my appearance an- be so old and stupid. away, Basil had come fir- noyed him. don't have any sense Initially I tried rhetoric. You're a crotchety old out of an old ......,...,..,'"""'°,.,that Valiant held him in a calm and duct tone, him what was the matter. Next that build us up. The ones that tear us down require more work and perseverance. What impressed me about the heroines Susan Brownmiller mentioned in Femininity, what, in fact, made her look so impotent in comparison, was that they did what they wanted. They were beaten and jailed, and they still did what Speaking Through Dogs they wanted. The only way to defeat evil double standards is to refuse to live by them, no matter what the consequences. And then I realized Basil's true function among the three living, animate beings on the front stoop. (I wasn't actually on the stoop, but rather still behind the glass Basil was a chana medium through which his mistress could speak to me. She wasn't speaking to Basil; she was speaking through him. Her real message to me was something like this. "I know you must think that I am irresponsible, letting my dog run all over the place the way I do, and that I lack discipline in my own life. You have concluded that this irresponsibility extends to other areas of my life such as diet, general health, reading habits, and the squandering of leisure time. Furthermore, you probably think that my disciplinary lassitude vis-a-vis Basil is symptomatic of corruption at has material embodient in the state of my car. ut you must realize that e dog himself wallows in ral turpitude, the prodof a broken home, now physical and moral dee. I do the best I can what I have to work . I know that normal sshouldn't and wouldn't the walk to the apartment. Waiting for me was Chico, the Chihuahua who lives next door. Chico was with his master, and were connected by a leash. appearance made Chico's day. He barked with delight and strained against the leash in an attempt to get to me. Recalling the previous day's encounter with Basil and fearing that a disturbing pattern of dogman interrelationships might be developing, I decided to try to make friends with Chico. He seemed so excited and happy about my arrival. I put my hand down so that he could sniff it-dogs like to do that-and walked toward him. Chico's joy at my approach was unbounded. I thought that he was going to have a heart attack. Disregarding my hand, and arm, Chico went rightforthe appendage that so appealed to him, my leg. In a paroxysm of desires, Chico couldn't decide what to do first. Certainly he wanted to bite my leg, but there are other things that legs are good for besides biting. Although clothed at the time, my are fairly sturdy and at least from a Chihuahua's of view. (Good thing Chico wasn't there on the stoop the when I was ,.,,..,,.>r,,.,,., shorts. bare would All said and done, Chico engaged in some of both activities. It was when Chico got a hold of my leg that he, like Basil the day before, became a medium. His master said: "Now not everyone understands the games you like to play. Some don't like to Not everyone wants to have fun." Have fun? I stared directly at Chico's master and said: "I don't want to have fun the way Chico wants to have fun." Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The guy didn't even look at me. And then I realized that I have forgotten to use the dog. Here I was trying to communicate directly with Chico's master and all the while I had an organic medium attached to my right leg. Although I had been oblivious to it at first, the message that was being delivered through Chico now was clear. His master was telling me that Chico is a playful little guy, one around whom you don't want to wear good pants. If you're lucky, he'll just bite a few holes in the pants leg. Chico's master was also telling me that his dog's behavior was perhaps naughty, but not bad. all, Chico just wanted have fun. A couple of days later, another encounter with have been Basil confirmed for me this for his little �22~~~~~~~~---r-~~~~~~~~~..--~~~~~~~~- th e same parking lot, but this time over by the dumpster. I heard youknow-who come lumbering out of his apartment building, bellowing all the while he was approaching. This time, however, Basil had a companion, Nit (or Twit; I never did get the companion's name straight). Nit looks like a cross between a Pekingese and a scrub brush. He lives with Basil. Basil and Nit danced around me, hoping that I would do something stupid. Perhaps I would try to move. I didn't, and eventually she arrived. Superficially seeming to address her pets, she exclaimed: "Bad dogs!" Had this been a week earlier, I would have considered her remark to be idiotic and purposeless. These guys weren't going to listen to her when they had me to bark at. But now I knew that the exclamation was not directed at Basil and Nit, but at me. She wasn't claiming that I was bad dogs, but rather that she owned bad dogs. She continued: "Basil, not the problem; it's here. He gets you all riled up so that you don't know whether you're coming or going." Poor Basil knew that wasn't about to come or go anyfrom where. And my who is much larger than a Chihuahua. The more she spoke to, i.e., through her dogs, the better I understood her. The rental agreement at my apartment complex requires that dogs be kept on a leash. Basil and Nit seem to be exceptions. She was asking me, through them, not to make trouble for her and her wayward dogs. So far, I haven't. These three encounters have led me to ponder the question: what kind of linguistic conduits are dogs? I have owned dogs in the past, and I have spoken through them too. These occurrences are not all that unusual. For example, I imagine that most of us have had the experience of being invited to a couple's house where there is a dog. They greet you at the door, take your coat, and invite you to sit down. They off er you a drink or some food, and then they start talking to their dog. Could it possibly be that this couple has invited you over so that you cou!d watch them talk to their dog? Hardly. They are talking to you through their dog. It is your responsibility to out what mean to say to you when Obviously dogs are media, but the message that they convey is one in need of translation. When your hosts say to Ginger that she knows you are a dog person, or when Basil's mistress calls "bad dog" through him, it is you, the human being on the other end of the dog, who must decipher the message. Proceeding word for word is certain to fail. One must consider not only the entire statement, but also the context in which it was uttered as well as the tone of voice used by the utterer. In this sense, dogs are rather complex media which, when used properly, can also persuade. That's right. Dogs are rhetorical devices too. So, the next time you need to get a message across to some one, consider using a dog. There must be some way that even I could use the medium and rhetorical device named Basiltosend a message to his mistress. ------Notes~-----rather than try to take it on about being played the back. The blank paper fool and eight years of junk. spoke almost as loud as We were worlds away, yet Blues the half dozen beer bottles had traveled the same After scattered about. "Well, I'll roads. For a moment, we Dark giveyousomethingtowrite were friends. The Lincoln about." I took some notes outside beckoned loud and as he told tall tales of hav- clear. We armed ourselves Beer bottles fight with ing played with the best of with our bottles, oh so cool. empty shot glasses to oc- them, how he could size up We hit the streets of cupy my attention. Sam a mark better than any of Roxbury, a tape of Sam Cooke filled the room with them. Somehow lfelt I was Cooke, playing so near, so his grainy jukebox voice. being hustled and didn't dear. The car was smooth He walked in, hat askew, really enjoy the feeling. He as we blew light after light, dressed like the player he was so drunk, and it passing the joint as the later claimed to be. He sat seemed so obvious that I smoke of our thoughts at my table, of course, all just let him ramble on.· made it all seem so clear. the others being empty. When he gotto the close I'd His was a story I could not The couple of other patrons tell him to get lost. Until write. I knew I'd never see at the bar ignored us for all then I'd listen to the story. him again, and never did, we were worth. Maybe he was right, maybe yet somehow he under"You a musician?" it'd be worth writing about. stood the pain I felt that "No ... a writer." I said We talked about cards, night. I never told him how it more as a lack of any- dealing seconds, bottoms, I felt, as I listened to him tell thing else to say. It was just and all the rest. I told him me about his girl. He as much a way of saying I about the thumb nail crimp showed me the letter she'd didn't play an instrument, I used to use, and he told left when she left him for a yet felt entitled to hang out me it was no good. It had bass player and I knew she in this dump of a place on a made me a lot of money at really loved him. He turned On the one time, until I saw a guy up the music and taught Monday night. weekends they jammed with the same talent get me how to feel it when I listhem into the place, thrown through a plate tened. In Southy now he squeezing a blues band into glass window. Since then had it floored as we kicked the comer, but tonight it I'd gotten out of the game. back and smiled, driving was just me and some lo- "Want to go to Toronto? away the blues that night. al winos. I've got a Lincoln out front, "So you want to be a we'll be there by tomorrow, riter?" I shrugged, figur- and we'll hit a pool hall. g at this point it was eas- We'll clean up and then live r to just go along with it, it up." "Thanks, those e Collegian would like to remind the days are over mmunity that we accept short for me. I'm too ces as well as longer ones. rusty." "Yeah, me ----========;;;;;;;;;;too." He went -- RICHARD VAN SAVAGE, G.I. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Collegian Description An account of the resource The Collegian began as a student newspaper; became a college community literary publication in 1952 and continued until 1969; became a student newspaper again in 1969; discontinued publication from 1980 until 1989 when it again became a student literary publication.<br /><br />Click on <a title="The Collegian" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=26">Items in The Collegian Collection</a> to view and sort all items in the collection. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Page numeration Number of pages in the original item. 23 pages Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data paper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context The Collegian 28 February 1991 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1991-02-28 Title A name given to the resource The Collegian, February 28, 1991 Description An account of the resource Vol. II, Issue 5 of The Collegian. Published on February 28, 1991. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Brooks, Tequila (Editor) Mlinko, Ange (Editor) Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this publication. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource pdf Student publication https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/26f027b2bf0d43071996a4d3d492024b.pdf c8154b77a466581e97fbc832b44e3815 PDF Text Text !,ways speak and act as men who are lo be pgtld under a law ol lffltldom -letter of James 2.12 The Collegian first est 1888 Friday, April 19, 1991 Volume Il Issue 6 The publishing policy of The Collegian is to treat all writers or artists and the pieces they submit with respect. It seeks to be an outlet for the intellectual and creative life of the community. Whether published or not, all material is welcome for review -- from students, staff, alumni and friends of St. John's. No revision will be adopted without the consent of the writer. Response Is Invited to any of the views expressed within these pages. Please address correspondence and criticism to Box 391 Campus Mail. NEXT DEADLINE: Thursday, March 28, 1991 Second Annual Temple iglehart Lecture on the Body: Our :Morta{ Coif I'll begin with some Greek etymologies. You wouldn't expect anything less of me, would you? This place is called a gymnasium. That is a Greek word meaning a place of nakedness. The Greeks, our universal ancestors, were highly proud of themselves for being the only people, among those they knew, who cultivated the body with such frank and refined modesty that a public display of nakedness could be both enjoyable and decent. The official managers of the Athenian gymnasium, the one most worthy of being oompared with our Iglehart Hall establishment, were called the IomlPOV\(J't'(ll. Accu- rately translated that means the "Temperance-Enforcers." Mr. Leo Pickens is our most excellent and effective temperance enforcer. I salute him. You might also recall that the most ordinary use among the Greeks of the word 9EOpm, theory, is the activity of being a spectator, acontemplatorof sports events. So the place of decent nudity is also the place of theory proper. In fact, of course, no one is naked here, though I am certain that everyone is continually engaged in deep contemplation and theoretical conversation. I must tell you that a quarter OUR MORTAL COIL EDITORS' NOTES RABELAIS ANDTHE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION NORSE WARRIOR'S SONG MARXIST NOTES ON Heart of Darkness: PART II SPRING STORIES (A NOTE) Pascal's Pensee #298: TRANSLATION & NOTES COMMENTARY ON THE ARGUMENT DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR? THE MADNESS OF THADDEUS JAMES BEAUTIFUL IO VACATING A DISMISSAL NOTES *A Longish Note on Nietzsche and Tertullian St. John's College Annapolis, AAD 21404 BRANN p. 1 -- p. 2 JENNINGS MACLEAN MASHOUR COWAN DORLAND DORLAND OLENN CHRISTIAN PARENTI PARENTI MADDEN p. p. p. p. p. p. p. p. p. p. 4 5 7 8 12 13 15 17 18 21 p. 23 �2 ---------,-----------,----------3 Editors' Notes - - - - - - - - - - with regard to letters : The Collegian does accept "Letters to the Editors". This may not have been clear, as we have published pieces on subjects which people must have opinions on (i.e. Mr. Mueller's essays on drug legalization and Ms. Umerlik's essay on pornography), and we did not receive responses to these pieces. The Collegian strives to present different viewpoints on subjects, but this is not possible unless readers respond in writing to the viewpoints we do have occasion to present. With regard to profanity: Since Mr. Parenti's poem "Vacating a Dismissal" contains profanity and may be offensive to some readers, justification for its publication is in order. One purpose of a magazine is to broaden the experience of its readers. This is especially important in a community like St. John's, where we are insulated from many experiences, and can easily forget that they are out in the world to be had. "Vacating a Dismissal" is suggestive of experiences alien to St. John's, and for this reason we published it, despite the offense people may take at the profanity it contains. The Collegian receives other submissions which contain profanity, most of them anonymously, but these do not have the redeeming literary qualities to offset the profanity. The topic of profanity, therefore, is a live one. Should writers who wish to be taken seriously use it? Does its use indicate that writers are moving towards the vernacular and thereby improving writing by giving different perspectives of life? Or does it mean that they are trying to shock their read~rs and that its use is purposeless and tasteless? Having no lucid thoughts on this topic at this time, we would like to open it up for discussion in the upcoming issue, the last one of the year. Please think about this topic, put your thoughts in writing, and send them to The Collegian through campus mail by next Thursday. With regard to the publlcatlon of "Do You Hear What I Hear?": Ms. Olenn's essay contains a partly technical description of music which may make it unreadable or uninteresting to some readers. Despite this fact, we have chosen to publish it. In addition to broadening its readers' experience, a magazine should contain pieces whose contents make readers strain themselves to understand what is not immediately accessible. Ms. Olenn's essay was recommended by a tutor as an exemplary essay about music, and for this reason we have published it. Hyou can get through (or even ignore) the technicalities, you will find it to show relations between music, religious experience, and the listener. century ago, when I was much younger, Mr. Larry Berns and I pioneered the integration of exercise and theory. We devised a form of tennis which, both of us being Jews, we called Jewish tennis. Its defining feature was going to the net and discussing political theory. We moderns have probably chosen the better part between nudity and sports spectacle, in view a our general physical condi tion. The Greeks were t people of the mean -- a the bodies displayed in their gymnasium showed neither excess nor deficiency of volume. They knew that other regions had other ideals, having heard of some Indian sages, ascetics who lived as hermits and were thin to vanishing, called the ruµVOCJ07t'lllO't<ll or the "Naked Wiseman." Also from the east of Greece, again from India, comes the fat figure of the Buddha, whose corpulence seems to betoken serene plenitude, and of the Maharajahs whose obesity was financial: their yearly tribute was their bodyweight in gold. really don't quite carries us hither and thither know why I'm telling you all and locates us in space. this, except that I am fasci- Like a car, we don't want nated by questions con- trouble from it: the fewer cerning the waxings and noises and the more milewanings of the human age it gets per gallon the bodily volume --guess why. better. In the moments of For example, I keep complete absorption that wondering why it is so easy are the glory of human life to grow in girth and so hard we forget that we own the to grow in wisdom. This thing. Of course there is a question is one of a spe- problem with that: When I cies that comes under the taught at Whitman College Greek sentence EcxA.Enov in Walla Walla a decade 'to KcxA.ov: "the fine things ago, theotherwiseenchantare hard." Why is working ing countryside of southharder than idling? Why is eastern Washington was excellence outstanding dotted with billboards sponrather than ordinary? Why sored by the national dendo I crave Twinkies rather tal association, bearing the than broccoli? Why are unsettling saying: "Just ---------~great books difficult? forget about your teeth and Now let me turn sud- they'll go away." That, in a denly serious, for our body nutshell, is the danger STAFF is no laughing matter. The faced by people too comtheorists of private prop- pletely absorbed in the life Jeff Acker '92 erty name. the body first. of the mind and spirit. But Dianne Cowan '91 They consider it as our most those of you who need to George Dolan '92 expensive, most demand- be told that aren't the ones Robby Nease '92 ing, vulnerable, inalienable who're here tonight. Carmen Denk '93 possession. What do we They're in their rooms readMolly Hinshaw '93 mean when we speak of ing the Critique of Pure Nathan Humphrey '94 "our body"? Who, what sort Reason, in German. Kelly Rock '94 of being, is the owner of Our body, however, is Dawn Beltz, GI this piece of property, and one more thing besides the what are the possessor's source of pleasure, work, Tequila Brooks . editors rights and responsibilities? and transportation. It is Ange Mlinko Here is the subject of a also our mortal coil. Hamgreat senior essay. H you let, recall, in his greatest Kevin Dungey, faculty choose it, I'll be glad to be speech, reflects on the · advisor asked to advise you. dangers in shuffling off "this In any case, our body mortal coil." Most scholars Printed at St. John's serves us in three chief think that "coil" is an obsoCollege Print Shop ways. First, it is the seat of lete word meaning "tumult" Thanks to The Gadfly making and taking pleas- and "trouble." But some ure. Second, it is a tool for think that Shakespeare r allowing us the use doing what we want to the may also have meant coil of their light board. world. And third, it is the as in "induction coil," the :::::::::::::::=========.J vehicle of our soul, which spirally wrapping of a core, �5 4~~~~~~~.-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ the bandage around our soul. Of this wrapping the uppermost forward part is the most significant. There our mortal mummy carries its identifying facial mask. The Latin word for a facial mask is persona; our facial front is the essentially personal part of our bodies. Let me ask you: Have you ever had a moment of eerie alienation, when you looked in the mirror and saw "your" face and wondered what on earth it had to do with you? We tend to think of others that their faces are their own fault or merit, but for ourselves we know better, for we know ourselves directly. We are, Rabelais and the Scientific Revolution Recently I have come across a passage from Jacob Klein's Greek Mathematical Thought and the Origin ofAlgebrathat made me think of Rabelais' Gargantua in a new way. At first sight, Klein's scholarly study of the history of mathematics and Rabelais' farcical (if not scatological) satire would seem to have little to do with each other. It must be remembered, however, that Rabelais was (at least according to the back cover of the Penguin inside, golden landscapes, raging oceans, libraries of plots and characters: Recall Augustine's descriptions of "that great field or spacious palace," his memory. Can those libraries and landscapes find an adequate front in that little mask: those small glassy two-way mirrors that let in the world and let out our feeling, that funny wedge that cuts the air ahead of us and sucks in smells from the ground, that pink-edged mobile hole with its "barrier of teeth" that takes in food and air, and emits noises rational and irrational -- can that cramped little persona really express our inside? No, it canl possibly, and yet it must, it does -- if we help it: forthe more it hides the more it shows. Let me, consequently, end with an outrageous proposal: Treatourgym as the place to get your instrumental, vehicular body, your arms, legs, and torso, in shape. But think of the college itsett as a place for; well-shaping your body's passenger, your person and its persona. Think of St. John's as a gymnasium of the face. edition) a "humanist," meaning that he was a part of the Renaissance visionary and reformist movement within the Europear1 intelligentsia. Therefore, it is not completely absurd to wonder whether Rabelais' implicit vision of the world might have included a new notion of science. Indeed, according to Klein one of the important functions of modern scientific revisionism was a revolt against the schools, and even a casual reading of Rabelais reveals that he certainly took part in this revolt through his satire. It is my opinion that Rabelais also took part in the concomitant rethinking about science. According to Klein, the Greek view of science, which is tied up in what he calls the Greeks' "intentionality" toward the world, is that science is an abstraction of natural, prescientific experience of the world. Greek science, as distinguished from modern, is . ultimately grounded upon everyday experience, and hence upon everyday discourse. That is not to say that the terminology need always revert to everyday usages, but that the terminology, however elaborate, always reflects the immediate, "natural" experience of phenomena. Aristotle, for instance, is perfectly comfortable saying that heavy things have a tendency to go down, an observation that is awkward or even senseless within the mod ern schematization of sci -- EVA BRANN, Dean entific phenomena. The medieval scholastics, via Hel1en is tic, Roman, and Arab sources, crystallize Greek scientific thought within a technical vocabulary lampooned often by Rabelais. Although the scholastic jargon is often nearly impassable, it still reflects the notion that "all h e a v y 'l{prse 'Warrior's Song In the murmuring night our ancestry is devoured. The legions of love now dust gone away. And the shadow of shadow of shadow of shadow. To bravely fight and die, and know it means nothing. To hear a faint music far off as through the sounds of the rain A quiet voice is heard which repeats the word death, death. Why do I not run, why not hide. Because I am hiding now and it does no good. But to be brave to stand against the blows, this is true being, this is to be. Leaves falling gracefully in the wind scattered beyond the borders of fall and of spring. To walk by the brook:in the night with no light. To leap and be swallowed the gurgling down. -- SCOT R. MACLEAN '91 l.;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;ji;i;;;;;;;;;;;;;;m;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;~;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;:.m things have a tendency to go down" is a useful sort of statement in science. The question is whether Rabelais in implicitly criticizing the scholastic argot is also criticizing scholastic (and obliquely, Greek) scientific thinking as a whole. An excellent example of Rabelais' satirization of cholastic science is found the birth of Gargantua. In is famous birth, Gargana leapsout of his mother's ear. Rabelais describes event as follows, "By misfortune the cotyles of the matrix were saned at the top, and child leapt up through them to enter the hollow vein. Then, climbing through the diaphragm to a point above the shoulders where this vein divides in two, he took the left fork and came out by the ear." What Rabelais is doing is using the language of the schools, in this case the medical language, and applying it to an impossibility. It is important to note that Rabelais is ridiculing not so much the terminology as the application of the terminology. Rabelais, playing as the school-educated physician, is describing an event technically while uncritically consider- ing that the event in fact did and can happen. The reason given for accepting this event as true is that, after all, we have all heard many stories about fantastic births, particularly from the ancient savant Pliny. Therefore, if we believe the stories of Pliny, "a barefaced liar," then why not the story of Gargantua's birth? It is clear that Rabelais is criticizing, as he often does, the thoughtless acceptance of ancient authority typical of the schools. I would say further that he is also criticizing the view of science that �6 ~~~~~~~~~-.-~~~~~~~~~.--~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~--.~~~~~~~~~--r-~~~~~~~~~ allows for such an accep- births. Rabelais, then, in this "scheme" indicates the tance. For the schoolmen, satirizing the uncritical emergence of an entirely man's experience of the acceptance of a particular new "intentionality," and world unfolds itself through event as a scientific fact is therefore an entirely new time. If one wants to prove, criticizing an entire way of view of science. As Klein says, "Thus [in the "new for instance, that ghosts looking at science. It is important that science"] every one of the exist, it is valid to rely upon the evidence of others. The Pliny's account mentioned newly obtained concepts is scholastics rely (more or by Rabelais is one of determined by reflection on less) heavily upon a com- "strange and unnatural the total context of that conmon experience of the births." Although the expe- cept." The "context" of any world as well as upon the rience (again, taken in a given concept is nature, or, authority and common broadly subjective sense) more properly speaking, understanding that the of those births may be the concept of nature. experience produces. Pre- called "natural," the births It is my contention that scientif ic understanding is themselves are certainly the basis of modern scifundamentally a common unnatural. If it is absurd, as ence, the concept of naunderstanding grounded Rabelais seems to think, to ture functioning as the total upon common experience. believe Pliny to be anything context of concepts, is The only litmus test for a but "a barefaced liar" then found in an embryonic form particular account's credi- there must be some basis in Rabelais' satire of the bility is its coherence within for determining that he is traditional scholastic learnthe body of common expe- indeed lying. The measure ing. Rabelais may not have riences. The "natural" ex- of an account's credibility envisioned a "new science" perience of the world, for must move from man's at all, but a necessary part the scholastics at least, "natural" experience to a of his satirical attack against means a natural sort of more objective criterion. the schools is an implicit experiencing, not experi- This criterion must be na- recognition of the possibilence of what we call the ture itself. We know Pliny is ity of such a science. The "natural world." A natural a "liar" precisely because seeds of the "new science" sort of experiencing is noth- he accounts for certain were first sown during the ing more than the experi- births, births on the whole Renaissance when thinkencing that we have on a being natural, as being ers, though still far from day to day basis, and that unnatural. In other words, what we would recognize experiencing, when "expe- an unnatural birth must be as science, began to tear rience" is understood in a thought of as impossible down the scholastic Iansubjective sense, inevita- because it does not work guage barriers between bly gives rise to accounts within the larger scheme of man as observer and naof ghosts and fantastic nature. The appearance of ture as the completely ob. . . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . - . . . . - - - - j e c t i f i e d context of all conThat the states we have named are culpable is cepts. Rabelais is a scienplain enough, and that the middle state is laudtific revisionist insofar as able -- that in virtue of which a man will put up he enthusiastically takes with, and will resent, the right things in the right part in dismantling the way; but no name has been assigned to it, scholastic view of science. though it most resembles friendship. -- Aristotle's Ethics 1126 b 20 -- DAVID JENNINGS: Some Marxist Notes on Heart of Darkness: 1 Part II Ill. Relflcatlon and Deification Let us begin by defining the terms "reify" and "deify." To reify is to regard a mental abstraction as something material, or, to mentally regard something as concrete or objective. We see immediately that several things may be reified. On the one hand, we may reify an idea or ideology by deeming it objective (as in the case of the economic original sin), or by regarding it as material (as inthecaseofthe economic category capital). On the ther hand, it is clear that en and women may be ified by themselves or by ers, i.e. regarded as jects instead of subjecbeings. To deify is the erse process of reif ica. Deification regards a an or material thing as d to be worshipped. With this in mind, let consider some signifi- cant examples of reification and deification in Heart of Darkness. One of the most salient examples is the deification of ivory. Consider the following. They wandered here and there with their absurd long staves in their hands, like a lot of faithless pilgrims bewitched inside a rotten fence. The word "ivory" rang in the air, was whispered, was sighed. You wouldthinkth.:Jywerepraying to it (C, p 52). It now becomes evident why the capitalists are often referred to as pilgrims. They are, indeed, religious travelers searching out the sacred flesh of God: ivory. Ivory, however, is but one of the many forms of the true almighty: Capital. It is in His service that the capitalists, as well as the natives, have become reified. In their search for the commodity they regard each other, and themselves, as objects in the service of the God. "Men who come out here should have no entrails." That is, nothing distinctively human, no human weaknesses, nothing that could impede serving Him. "When one has to make coffect entries, one comes to hate those savages-hate them to death." Human life becomes insignificant in comparison with serving Him. "Perhaps you willthinkitpassingstrange, 7 this regret for a savage who was of no more account than a grain of sand in the black Sahara. Well, don't you see, he had done something, he had steered; for months I had him at my back-- a help-- an instrument." The value of humanity is nothing more than its utility as an instrument in His service. I need not remind the reader of the treatment the natives received in the service of the capitalists. As Marlowe said, they were completely bereft of anything earthly. Furthermore, it is clear that the capitalists themselves were in the terrain at the possible expense of their lives. All of this for the material ivory, begotten of the category Capital. What could we call this strange condition that results in the deification of material objects, and the reification of human beings? Marx calls it: the fetishism of commodities. The fetishism of commodities is the process of reification and deification Conrad has depicted. The commodity takes on mysterious qualities, it abounds in "metaphysical subtleties and theological niceties." On the other hand, the relationship of the producers becomes simply a material one. While we do not view the market interaction of the producers in Conrad's work, we nonetheless can witness both labor and capitalists alike being re- �~~~~~~~~~-.-~~~~~~~~~..--~~~~~~~~g l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l .--....~~ Spring Stories Theme for different voices. 1. l/ I look in the mirror in the morning and see the same thing in the mirror. Who wants to see the same side of himself every day? Yuk. 2. ... mixing/ Memory and desire, stirring/ dull roots with spring rain. -- T. S. Eliot 3. Baghead? It's one of Rachel's words: "Someone who gives you the lust bunnies." I think everyone should always have at least three or four bagheads. I'm sad because I only have one, and I haven't seen her in a few days. 4. Then spoke the thunder -- T. S. Eliot 5. Don't cry. Look, something's about to happen here. I heard music on the Quad the other night. It's okay. Don't cry. It looks like Spring might come this year. DIANNE J. COWAN '91 .......... ~~~~~ .......... l l l l l l l l l l l l l l ! l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l f duced to the level of material objects. What is the cause of this phenomenon? Without getting too economically detailed, we can state that it is the presence of exchange-value in the ivory that leads to its deification. According to Marx, exchange-value is the coagulation of social labor within a commodity. It is an objectification of the laborer's life, and it is precisely this objectification that endows the commodity with such vitality. Exchange-value is regarded by Marx as an abstraction. To abstract, in the Marxian sense, is to pull the essence out of something. In this case, it is the worker's being which is pulled out of himself and "coagulated" in the commodity. That the capitalist (underthe laws of circulation) is entitled to the commodity is what results in the estrangement of labor -- the loss of reality -- that was mentioned before. This concept of abstration is essential to Marx's thought. Let us return to our exploration of reification and deification. I am sure the reader has already anticipated Kurtz as the next example of deification. Marlowe states about [savages] in the nature of supernatural beings -- we approach them with the might as of a deity" (C p following quotation from Marx shall illuminate the significance of this strange proportion. 87). As a result of this "might," the savages surrounding Kurtz's station had become reified. They were merely objects that were manipulated to serve Kurtz's pri: vate ends. Is there any relationship between this example of deification, and the fetishism of commodities? Undeniably so. Conrad brings them into an analogous relationship by paralleling Kurtz with ivory. The association of Kurtz with ivory is provided by the attitude of the pilgrims to both. Each was whispered about mysteriously; each was treated with a peculiar reverence. The parallel is expressed quite explicitly by Marlowe. The wilderness had patted him on the head, and, behold, it was like a ball -- an ivory ball; it had caressed him, and -- lo -- he had withered; it had taken him~ loved him, embraced him, got into his veins, consumed his flesh, and sealed his soul to its own by the inconceivable ceremonies of some devilish initiation. He was its spoiled and pampered favorite. Ivory? I began with the argu- should think so (C p 84). nt that we whites, from point of development Let us state the analogy had arrived at, "must completely: Ivory: Capitalcessari/y appear to them ists :: Kurtz : Natives. The For a society of commodity producers, whose general social relation. of production consists in the fact that they treat their products as commodities... Christianity with its religious cult of man in the abstract... is the most fitting form of religion (M p 165). The relationship of Kurtz and the natives is symbolic of the relationship of Christ and the Christians, and furthermore possesses a formal unity with the fetishism of commodities. Marx alludes to this very unity. In order, therefore, to find an analogy we must take flight into the misty realm of religion. There the products of the human brain appear as autonomous figures endowed with a life of their own, which enter into relations both with each other and with the human race. So it is in the world of commodities with the products of men's hands (M p 165). Both fetishism and Christianity are conditions of man in the abstract. As was mentioned before, with commodities it is the objectification of the worker's being in the product. Analogously to fetishism, man extracts his essence and �F 10 gloom, brooding motionless over the biggest, and the greatest, town on earth" Books, gentlemen, are a species of men, and (C p 27). Conrad immediintroduced to them you circulate in the "very ately makes it clear that best society" that this world can furnish, without there is a darkness lurking the intolerable infliction of "dressing" to go into in London, while Marlowe's it. In your shabbiest coat and cosiest slippers journey is one leading to you may socially chat even with the fastidious the heart of darkness. We Earl of Chesterfield, and louging under a tree can now see that the darkenjoy the divinest intimacy with my lord of ness in London is capitalVerulam [Francis Bacon]. Men, then, that they ism, and that its heart -- in are -- living, without vulgarly breathing -- never the sense of its essence -speaking unless spoken to -- books should be is Christianity. At the esappropriately apparelled. sence of capitalist production we have found the -- Melville, "A Thought on Book-Binding" abstraction and estrangement of man. Christianity ..__..._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ is the most profound abprojects it into the "God" or vine beings. In Christian- straction of man. In this "Christ," thereby regarding ity, we project our essence sense it is at the heart of it as autonomous. It is, into a Christ and are left as capitalism. Conrad's primitherefore, "God in the abstract creatures. In short, tive setting provides the imageofman"andnot"Man the bourgeois society as a opportunity for the elein the image of God." whole is caught in the most ments of both capitalism Let us view the situation severe of dialectical an- and Christianity to be isoin a different way. As we tagonisms. The centrifugai lated, and illuminated in have seen, nearly all the force of capitalism and their connection. Because major relationships in Heart Christianity drives man into of the "never-ending circle" of Darkness can be re- alienation from his fellow we ref erred to earlier, nogarded as examples of rei- man, and therefore into es- where in modern capitalist fication and deification. trangement from his own society would · we ever Now consider that man has species-being. This, ulti- clearly view the fetishism traditionally been charac- mately, is the rational and of commodities and its reterized as a synthesis of dialectical significance of lationship to Christianity. In god and brute, material and the relationship between a similar fashion, Conrad immaterial, infinite and fi- capitalism and Christianity takes us into the heart of nite. The vision that Conrad that Conrad introduced primitive accumulation and presents, and the one I be- through triadic symbolism. reveals its essence as lieve Marx had, is a vision force. of humanity severed into IV. The Darkness: Christianity is also at the these extremes. Instead of Capitalism -heart of capitalism in an being a synthesis of the The Heart of Darkness: ideological way. As we aforementioned dichotoChristianity remember from Marlowe's mies, mankind is split up description of primitive acinto the polar determinants "The air was dark above cumulation, it is the idea of his being. In capitalism, Gravesend, and farther that "redeems" the injuswe see a class of material back still seemed con- tice, or stands at the "back objects and a class of di- densed into a mournful of it." Christianity is one ~~~~~~~~-.-~~~~~~~~.-~~~~~~~11 such redeeming idea... or ideology. Not only does it set the abstract stage for thecommoditymodeofproduction, it provides the means of mystifying the labor class. It obviates the need of a working-class revolution by delivering the promise of rewards in the eternal afterlife. It eviscerates the drive of the workers to revolt against their oppressors -- even at the price of death. It is, in many ways, the most efficient ideology. Having presented the dialectical antagonism of mankind through reification and deification, I wish tq briefly inform the reader of Marx's resolution. Marx thinks that all of history is a preparation for man to have "man" as the object of sensuous consciousness. He foresees a return to the sensuous, finite, and hence actual objects of reality. Though I have stated it quite crudely, this is the synthesis of the physical and metaphysical: to contemplate sensuously the univ. Conclusion versal "species being." I hope my statement of this It should now be evi- resolution has been suff ident how Conrad's Heart ciently opaque to impel the of Darkness can be read as reader to further study of a Marxian allegory. It intro- Marx. I recommend Priduces the reader to the vate Property and Commuconcepts of ideology, es- nism for this topic. trangement of labor, primiHthis is a resolution of tive accumulation, and the man in the abstract as a fetishism of commodities. result of Christianity, what More significantly, it reveals is the economic resolution? the "secrets" of these capi- As the reader may have talist conditions by provid- anticipated, it is commuing a setting within which to nism. Communism, too, is view them in their severity a return to the sensuous. and isolation. Finally, both The communist mode of phenomena and explana- production (in a strictMarxtion are completely in ac- ian sense) eliminates the cord with Marxian doctrine. exchange-value of a prod. . . - - - - - - - - - . uct since the means of production are held in Major References: common. There is a return Capital, Karl Marx, to consumption as an end, Vintage Books, 1977: M much like the natives except on a social level. It is Heart of Darkness, very important to note that Joseph Conrad, Penguin the economic change prePublishers, 1989: C cedes the change of universal consciousness. ---------According to Marx it is the material conditions of life that determine the consciousness, and not the reverse. (Read Chapter 1 of Capital for an understanding of fetishism and its resolution in communism; read The German Ideology for an explanation of the "materialist method"). The Marxian dialectic is perhaps the most beautiful facet of his work. It enables the diagnosis of ostensibly disparate social "contradictions" such as capitalism and Christianity, and provides rational solutions for them. However, it is a testimony to Conrad -if not to literature itself -that he was able to depict vividly these dialectical antagonisms of mankind with such a brilliant economy and vitality. --GEORGE MASHOUR'91 �12~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Translation and Analysis: Pensee #298 Justice, force. II est juste qua ca qui est juste soit suivi, ii est necessaire qua ca qui est le plus fort soit suivi. La justice sans la force est impuissante; la force sans la justice est tyrannique. La justice sans force est contredite, parce qu'il y a toujours des mechants; la force sans la justice est accusee. II f aut done mettre ensemble la justice et la force; et pourcela faire quece qui est juste soit fort, ou qua ce qui est fort soit juste. La justice est sujette dispute, la force est tres reconnaissable et sans dispute. Ainsi on n'a pas pu donner la force la justice, parce que la force a contredit la justice et a dit qu'elle etait injuste, et a dit que c'etait elle qui etait juste. Et ainsi ne pouvant fa ire que ce qui est just tot fort, on a fait que ce qui est fort tot juste. a a 1. I have translated mechants as unrighteous in order to link both wickedness and law-breaking. 2. Here, "accused" is not strong enough, hence "condemned". 3. I think that "bring together" is pref arable to "put together" in this instance. The latter sounds a bit ungrammatical. 4. I considered substituting "become" for "be" here. At the beginning of the sentence, Pascal is talking about bringing togetherthe just and the strong. Being does not admit of degree with respect to change-something either is or is not--and it sounds more pleasant to consider the just becoming strong. Pascal, however, appears to be talking about a coincidence Justice, might. It is just that what is just be followed, it is necessary that what is strongest be followed. Justice without might is impotent: might without justice is tyranny. Justice without might is contradicted, because there are always the unrighteous1; might without justice is condemned2. It is necessary then to bring together3 justice and might; and in order to do that, either what is just may be strong, or what is strong may be4 just. Justice is subject to dispute, might is quite recognizable and indisputable. Thus one has been unable to give might to justice because might has contradicted justice and has said that it was injustice, and has said that it was itself which was just~ And so, one not being able to make what is just be strong, one has made what is strong be just6• of the two (see the argument following), so the conditional predication seems better suited to the subjunctive "be". The subjunctive sense of the sentence reflects the uncertainty of whether justice is coincident with might, not the degree to which one has become the other. 5. I considered rendering the sentence as: "Thus one has been unable to give might to justice because might has contradicted justice and might has said that justice was, in fact, unjust, and it has further said that might was itself that which was just". This would certainly clarify all the antecedents of the pronouns in Pascal's original sentence. The French, however, seems just as confusing as my english; there must be a reason why Pascal wrote it thus. If we examine the context of the sentence, we see that it follows immediately upon the image of justice as cont used and subject to dispute. The readerfirst reads about how cont using justice is, then in the very next sentence he is forced to pause and puzzle out the cont used muddle of pronouns. That this is a serendipitous coincidence I find unlikely; it seems rather that Pascal forces the reader into agreeing with his assertion. I am required to render it as is then, for to simplify it would be to do injustice to Pascal's subtlety of prose. 6. Here again, as in note 4, I chose "be" over "become". ~~~~~~~~~.-~~~~~~~~~..--~~~~~~~~13 gism. The lesser predica- strongest is followed, or if I tion (when carpentry is in may restate it, all might is act) preserves the subjunc- followed. tive sense of possibility, and Our three premises is not a predication as such, are: but rather states the re- 1. All actual justice is folquirements for the fulfill- lowed ment of the condition which 2. All actual justice is just will .act as the subject of the 3. All might is followed greater predication. These convert to: I may apply the same 4. Some of what is followed analysis to the first state- is actual justice ment of Pascal. I restate 5. Some of what is just is the phrase .as "when just actual justice The Pensee is a very be followed it is just". The 6. Some of what is followed tightly woven web whose condition of the lesser is might strands consist in syllogism predication (when just be I can not construct a and observations. Every followed) yields a condition: syllogism with these terms. statement is either a logi- actual justice (in the sense It is not clear whether might cal premise or an empirical of in actu). The just being and actual justice are coinassertion, the conclusion followed clearly results in cident in any way. But if it of the work is a necessity justice in actu, so I may can be shown that "some given the premises. claim I may make these justice is might", then this The first sentence is two propositions which can be a minor premise. actually composed of two explicate the relationship: Combine this with number propositions. They are: a) all actual justice is followed, 3 above as the major premIt is just that what is just be and all actual justice is just ise, and our syllogism confollowed, and b) It is neces- (the universal subject is so cludes that "some justice sary that what is strongest because actual justice (that coincident with might) be followed. "What is just simply names the condi- is followed". It follows that being followed" describes tion which has the nature of all justice conjoined to might the condition, and it is this singular quantity from is actual justice, and morecondition which is the sub- Kant's analysis of judge- over, this is the only sort of ject of the main predica- ment). justice which brings with it tion. The condition of jusI may further apply this the necessity of being foltice being followed is the analysis to the second lowed. subject ("it"), and the predi- statement of the first senPascal explains this cation is that this condition tence. I restate it as:"When conclusion in the rest of the is just. An example of this strongest be followed it is paragraph. He further is a statement like "It is car- necessary". Now neces- expands on the question of pentry if carpentry be in sity is another way of stat- actual justice by his obseract". I may rearrange this ing existence, so the state- vation that, "Justice withto yield: "The when of car- ment becomes simply out might is contradicted, pentry in act is carpentry". "actual might is". The lesser because there are always The greater predication (the predication is seen to ob- the unrighteous". The logic When ... is carpentry) is a tain always in nature sq of his first sentence led to proposition which may be thus looses its conditional the conclusion that all jusirmed or denied, and can nature, and we are left with tice conjoined to might is rm a premise for a syllo- this one conclusion: the actual justice, but this state- Commentary on the Argument: Analysis of Pascal's Pen see #298 �14~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--,--~~~~~~~~- ment is not universally convertible (i.e. it does not mean that all of actual justice is justice conjoined to might). His statement about the contradiction of justice does just that, so we are left with actual justice being present only with the marriage of justice to strength; this is in fact what Pascal says in the very next sentence. If we then have to find this mix, Pascal states the two possibilities which may lead to it: either the strong be just or the just be strong. This question is dealt with in the second paragraph of the Pensee. Pascal holds that because justice is so tenuous, it is impossible (or maybe even dangerous) to give strength to what may or may not be just. As I said in the notes to the translation, he summons confusion in the reader which forces us to address the idea that our notions of justice itself are cont used. Might is the only one of the two which is plain for us to see. This is not just an observation, for it follows from the reasoning of the first paragraph. We only ever have justice in act when it is married to force; at all other times it is merely justice in potens. On the other hand, strength and force are; there existence is a sort of EVEp)'Ela which admits not of potentiality. We know strength, because it surrounds us, both with justice and lacking it. Pascal's conclusion is then that we may make the strong just, for to try to find justice lacking strength is to search for a chimera which doesn't actually exist. The reason I have analyzed Pascal's Pens9e logically is in order to show the form of truth which consists in the syllogism has been adhere9 to. His conclusion is thus logically necessary, based upon the truth of the premises. Yet Kant says this of what he calls "general logic" in his Critique of Pure Reason: ...Although our knowledge may be in complete accordance with logical demands, that is, may not contradict itseff, it is still possible that it may be in contradiction with its object. The purely logical criterion of truth, namely, the agreement of know/edge with the general and formal Jaws of the understanding and reason, is a conditio sine qua non, and is therefore the negative condition of all truth. But further than this logic cannot go. It has no touchstone for the discovery of such error as concerns not the form but the content. We are thus left powerless to judge the universal truth of the content of Pascal's argument. We can not assume, for example, that there is a coincidence of might and justice. On~ might argue that the twain never meet -- this would not be at odds with the necessity of the first two propositions. One might question the truth that wickedness must always be dealt with when treating of men; if this is not so, then the conclusion that actual justice must be accompanied by might is untrue and not supported by the logical form. Finally, one might question the first two assertions themselves, namely that actual justice is just and that might is always followed. Justice has been brought about in my own lifetime by those who refuse to accept this second proposition. In fact the notion of majority rule seems to contradict the conclusion of Pascal, for the empowering of the majority would seem to rest on the hope that as a whole, we are by nature a just people, and deserve the power to watch over ourselves. -- BRYAN DORLAND '92 15 soon seems that a change schenken, senke dich, main of key is not necessary for Heil hinein" ("I will give my a change of center. In Heart to Thee; sink Thyself measure three the move in it, my Salvation"), the on the fourth beat of F# to soprano lets me know of Hear G emphasizes Gas center, her willingness to give and What I and in measure four this her need to express. She seems to happen too with will take me through many Hear? the move from D# to E. changes in the course of Now this isn't particularly the aria, but here she lets strong (it's gone in a sec- me know that those ond), but it's something I changes are a function of think occurs often in the expression, of desire. I once heard or read a piece. That is, both a Though the statement is saying that, if lweretogoto change of tonal center with- only six measures of the England, I would find there out key change, and spa- piece, I know that her love whatever England I was cifically the use of the mi- is steadfast and will perhoping to find. Now, I can- nor second to effect it. So, vade it all. not say that that holds true while still very much in the As measure eleven for England, but I often get key of G Major, our center begins I realize that the that feeling with music. may be whatever Bach theme is not new to me -- I Music encompasses so chooses to emphasize. heard it earlier in measures much, so many aspects, Center Eis gone now: five and six. The only difthat it seems whatever I But not back to G, to F for ference here is that the D it hear can be found in the the length offourbeats until ends on is both 1 and 5, score. That's the approach we return easily to G as thanks to the C# in the acI took with the aria "lch will center. The soprano line companiment. In measure dir main Herze schenken" begins singing up from thirteen the beginning note ("I will give my Heart to centerGingentlestep-wise A confirms that the perfect Thee"), number 19, from motion "lch will dir main fifth I heard from D to A was the St. Matthew Passion. I Herze schenken." While a 1 to 5 move, a key change looked for things to explain what is happening in the to D Major. Here too, a what I heard and what Ifalt accompaniment is nothing strange compromise and, though I found much unfamiliar, still the whole seems to take place bemore, I've chosen to relate attitude of the piece feels tween the soprano and the my experience of the mu- different. The accompani- accompaniment. While in sic rather than my experi- ment itself sounded play- her first six measures she ence of analysis. ful, almost trite. The so- seemed content to express The soprano line does prano's rise through almost G as center along with the not begin until the seventh an octave is powerful. It accompaniment, rhythmimeasure. The first six asserts her as the leader of cally she moved as she measures prepare me for this enterprise; I must lis- willed. In thirteen as she motives that I'll hear ten to what she says, and moves into D Major, she throughout the piece. The how she says it. starts again to stress the center G has been strongly Measures six through first and third beats of the declared by the second twelve are the longest pe- measure. But, as the piece beat of the measure. That's riod in which the centet continues I realize that her no problem -- the key sig- remains the same. With joy is a kind of restless nature is G Major, but it "lch will dir main Herze contentment -- she can find Do You �,...... 16~~~~~~~~-.--~~~~~~~~--.-~~~~~~~~~ it wherever she goes, so she never stays anywhere for long. The now-familiar minor second declares center E in measure fourteen, as the soprano begins to leave the time-wave behind. Somehow, we move right back into G for another six measures, and for fourteen full beats the soprano sings "schenken" luxuriating in the fact that having a declared center isn't a sacrifice, that giving of oneself is a freedom. Measures twenty-one and twenty-two are another imitation of the moves beginning in measure three that take me through G, E , and F, and finally as the F# reappears, so does the original center G. The soprano line ends for six measures, and I wonder why I should want to follow when when ~ no ~nger leading. Does the accompaniment take over to rem ind me that I am principally a listener and so my experience of this will always, in a sense, be vicarious? As I wonder, I am still following the accompaniment. It's familiar, and that familiarity tells me that as it rewarded me once before, I may hope that it will again. When in measure twentynine I hear a hint of A as center, I know that it will. Only a hint at A, and I am moved right back into G Major. In measure thirtyone the soprano returns, with a difference I didn1 expect--achangeofmode. The relative minor key of G Major, E, reflects pain to me. I doni feel sorrow. I know that her joy earlier wouldn't allow for that. She is now searching for the way to give, the way in which like Augustine, her activity is as steadfast as her love. It is a painful search, however, rewarding, as not only the mode; but her powerful ranging through the scale and leaping in fifths and sixths tells me. In this section of the aria we doni even get the short six measure rest from center changes that we did in the first section. The soprano mixes major and minor modes, joy and sorrow, and by measurethirtyeight seems to need a rest much more than seeming as if she's found one. Back in measure thirtythree the minor second declared the center A that I had been warned about in twenty-nine just before it sweptto F melodic minor, a move to be repeated in measure thirty-five. Measure thirty-six moves me back into E minor as the soprano here ends her new phrase "lch will mich in dir versenken; ist dir gleich die Welt zu klein, ei, so sollst du mir allein mehr als Welt und Himmel sein" ("I will submerge myself in Thee, and if the world is too small for Thee, ah, then for me alone shalt Thou be more than World and Heaven"). Because I know that her search and her love are really for "more than World and Heaven" I cannot feel that that expression is to contain the end in itself in the way "lch will dir mein Herze schenken" could. She must rest and try again. The accompaniment slides the center back to A in measure thirty-eight and then f urtherto G Major once again in thirty-nine. I think the accompaniment reminds her of the joy of her desire, the joy which prompted her search. And, as it grasps again at E minor in measure forty-one, lets her knt>w that that emotions she feels are as related as the keys which express them. She enters, and she remembers. The key is G Major. The "what" of her expression is the same, but the "how" has changed. she pushes forward, determined to try again and again she encounters her pain. In measure forty-six the C# takes me with her into the key of B minor where we stay together through measure forty-eight. Although the key is minor, I doni feel the encounter is a set-back as I did in thirtyeight. ThekeyofBminoris a fifth up from E -- it is a progression. The soprano may have to say the same thing for herself many times, but each time she does, she will move forward. So why does the score tell us to go back? I don1 ~~~~~~~~-r-~~~~~~~-.-~~~~~~~17 feel defeated, I doni feel incomplete. I want to go on I llisten to the accompaniment lope along and remind the soprano again to give, though I doni think she forgot. As she finishes the first section once again and the accompaniment goes on to end her aria, I realize that the reminder is for me. As the listener, I am the one who could forget. I could decide that the repetitian is a function of musical symmetry. But, when I heard this before, I heard it spur her forward and wondered where she would go. Now I can see this repetition as the first link in a chain of my own. I know where I could go, and I feel that she ends so that I may have a chance to begin. -- JULI OLENN '93 The Madness of Thaddeus James ioned bleeding. Well, they obviously know nothing ot pain. To think someone could imagine such pain is ludicrous. I guess it began about six months ago. I was the proprietor of a book shop on Usher street. It sat well betweenthepharmacyand the King's Antique Shop. I lived on the second floor as did most proprietors of the 300 block of Usher. Usher is a stately street with well kept walkways, bright windows and clean alleys. The Queen once remarked it was her favorite street in all of London; a well established merchants association keeps it that way. Most of us have the same customers that patronize our block of Usher Street regularly. Being the onlybookshoponthestreet made for a very healthy business. The customers loved my shop; most thought of the shop as a library of difficult to find books. But, I also carried the more current published books and reviews. There was a reading parlor with a comfortable sofa and parlor chairs that Miss Bentley from the King's Antique Shop gave me on loan. She didn1 have any room for them at the time, and later decided they looked better by my fireplace. And that was at least ten years ago. Often, in the early evening, Miss Bentley and I would take our prospective seats by the fireplace-with our closed signs in the windows--and enjoy a wonderful glass of bordeaux. We would have the most interesting and sometimes humorous conversations. We talked of politics, the sciences, literature and our neighbors. We would talk of anything and everything. But I can tell you, we never neglected to say, "How especially fine the wine is this evening." We both believed a new bottle was always better than the last. I miss Miss Bentley, and the evenings we shared. I hope she is healthy and business is good. Well, on to my situation, or, rather, imprisonment. That's not what they call it, they say I'm restrained. What do you call I doni remember the day it began. This acute piercing pain in the right side of my head that begins in my right ear, stabs through to my right eye, and stops in my mind. It never travels to the left side. Maybe it cannot, or, perhaps it enjoys the concentrated torture so much, and is content with the misery it brings each day and night. I don't know. I don't know why this demon of pain chose me to possess. I was a good man. I kept to myself, worked hard, and botherednoone. Whyme? Oh I Please excuse me. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Thaddeus James, the one possessed by this demon of pain. Thesefoolsheredon't think so. They think I am mad, and it's all in my mind. Hal hal hal hal Well of course it's in my mind, but I have no control, I tell you. They said there's no reason for me to feel pain and all I need is an old f ash- �18~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-r-~~~~~~~~ being locked in a room with and I would offer it to my shadows from their depths. no windows, one mattress customers, so that they His eyes were yellow and on the floor and your food may enjoy a cup as they grey. The strangest, most passed through the door, shop, or, while they read evil eyes I ever saw: yellow as though you're some wild the latest review. Every- with a grey film over them. beast? My personal pot is one looked forward to their How could he see? I could only emptied thrice per cup of tea at the shop and not remove my eyes f ram week, when they bring a occasionally Miss Bentley his face. I was paralyzed. bucket of cold water for my would bake scones, anq As he forced his head up, so-called bath. The bas- they were always pleasing. he raised his finger to point tards. I have to try not to Then the day came. at me. His finger was long get excited, for when I do, Thedaytheoldmanwalked andhadajaggedfingernail the pain will increase to a into my store. At first I at the end. Crooked, long, level that it takes control. didn1 notice him, I never and piercing, it had me Sometimes it lasts all night saw him come through the terrified and stonely paraand into the next day, door. He just. .. was there. lyzed. lknewhewasabout pounding its spike ·~=~==~==~~~~=~to speak. With his I0 eyes glazed with evil through my head, he opened his into my mind. My whole life ruined My mind is as sharp as a cow in heat mouth. He opened over tea, blasted Running through the grass and his mouth to show teal I hate tea. I Stomping my feet. me his teeth. Oh despise the damned Oh passionate bovine do not dismay god, they were ter We can feed in the hay rible. His teeth were drink. I must settle Or snort dandelions all day. big, big as the teeth of a horse. He only dow. You'll have to Is it your slender hoof had a few and they excuse me for a That makes me so digress were long, but not moment, some- Trading you for my old sharp. He had the times if 1 relax a Heifer Bess. while, I can postteethofahorselsay. pone the pain. -- MARK PARENTI, GI The few rotten teeth That's better. he had were caked You see, for years the When I first noticed him, he with a grotesque matter local merchants would was standing by the tea matter that had been there usually gather each morn- pot. He was a short man, for a long time. I could feel ing in my shop and have or maybe he wasni. It was his finger. I wanted to tea. My shop was best hard to tell because he move--but couldn't. I had because all of my neigh- slouchedoverso. Hisbody to cry out--but no sound bars had a good view of appeared to be bent at the could be made. He had me their shops from my win- neck and shoulders, and paralyzed. He began to dow, and could leave in his back curved forward in speak but before he could time to greet their custom- a grotesque attitude. He form the words his voice ers and provide prompt was wearing a black over- cracked and popped service. On most days this coat and ahatthat shielded Mucus sprayed from his would go on until 10:00 his face from my curious mouth. His teeth began to o'clock in the morning, then eyes. Then it happened. protrude and his finger be most all would be in their He looked up at me. His came more rigid. His gur place of business. There face was old and pale, with gling voice _spit 'the ~ord~ was always tea left over dark wrinkles that cast "Your tea 1s weak. 'Beauttiju{ ~~~~~~~~-.~~~~~~~~-.-~~~~~~~19 voice echoed, with mucus spewing through his caked teeth. His rancid breath filled the room with the stench of a dead decaying animal. His finger, piercing my mind, shook with a drilling sensation. I couldn1 speak. I couldn1 move. I thought he was going to say something else when he opened his mouth again, but the cracking and popping stopped hirn. He lowered his finger and those eyes, oh those eyes. He turned and walked out. I stood there for a moment longer, then the tension left my body and I collapsed onto my chair. My body was exhausted, my head was pounding and I was frightened to near death. Strangely, I had no customers that morning and, with my head aching so, I decided to close early and go upstairs to my flat and rest. My head was pounding so terribly, I thought I should take something as a remedy. Mr. Walsh atthe pharmacy ottered a formula he thought would surely help, but warned of the dangerous side effects with prolonged use. I took one measure and sat down to read, but the ache strengthened so I closed my eyes. When two hours had passed I was able to sleep, and I slept through the night. The next morning I felt e, and since it was Sunay the shop would be closed. So, II thought I would walk to the wine and spirits shop. On Sundays, Mr. Bennett worked and he would lay aside a bottle of any new wine that was delivered on Saturday. Mr. Bennett is a lover of Bordeaux also. Not to my surprise he had saved me a bottle from the vineyard's reserve selection. I must say, I was pleased. He asked me if any new books had arrived this week. I informed him, sometime this week, I would receive the new mystery by Arthur Conan Doyle. He was pleased and asked me to save him a copy. On my way home, I remembered I wanted a London Times and made a detour to purchase one. The alley off Bonnett Street is the shortest route, so I headed in that direction. Bon nett is a beautiful street, mostly resid~ntial and also kept clean. I was studying the label of my newest acquisition and not looking where I was walking. I nearly knocked down an elderly woman hurrying down Bonnett. I pardoned myself and turned the corner to the alley. I had not taken three steps when the odor stopped me. That paralyzing stench of those teeth was present. I tried to move, but my muscles would not respond. I tried to look up but my eyes were being forced down by th~ pressure growing in my head. I knew he was near if not present. The smell grew stronger ... stronger until I could hear the gurgle which I dreaded oh, so much. The laugh, yes, that deep but shallow laugh, he was here. He had come to torture me again. What had I done? I thought I would plead to him, but I was paralyzed by that rancid smell he brought. I shut my eyes to gather the strength to run, but the smell grew. I felt I would vomit at any moment. I opened my eyes. Oh God. When I opened my eyes I could see the torso of the beast torturing me. I tried to cry out...but he silenced me. He raised his finger and guided it to the center of my eyes. I could feel him reaching for my mind. That piercing finger had me impaled upon it and was raising my face to his. The pain was excruciating; I believed my head would burst. I tried to pull away but was helpless. His voice began to crack, his throat popped and his mouth opened to form the raspy laugh, "hea, hea, hea," he breathed. I could see the mucus clinging to those teeth. Those green and black awful decaying horse teeth. As my eyes looked upon the hideous creature he laughed at my terror. Those eyes ...those eyes with that mucus film stared at its prey. The pain within my �21\-~~~~~~~~-.---~~~~~~~~--.-~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~-r-~~~~~~~~-.-~~~~~~~~21 mind was swelling and my body shook out of control. Suddenly I cried out, "Why are you torturing me?" The old man's face looked astonished that I spoke. Then he said, "Because you are a weak, pitiful soul and your tea is weak too." Laughing at me the old man removed that awful finger from my head and I helplessly collapsed to the stones of the alley. 1never saw him leave. lmusthavelaininthatdamp cold alleyforthirty minutes. Finally, I gathered the energy and courage to stand and walk home. Confused and crying, I found the bottle Mr. Walsh had prescribed me, and drank from the bottle, maybe three or four measures. lsatinmychaircrying wondering why this mad man was tormenting me. Moments later I fell asleep. I didn't awaken until the morning of the ne.xt day. The next day I felt so weak and sickly, I was not abletoopentheshop. Miss Bentley warned me of a terrible cold going around and offered her services to me, and at the shop. I thanked her and declined her offer, though she insisted upon checking in on me. lthoughtto myself that I should ask if she had seen the old man, but how would I? How could I explain what this mad experience had been like? I said nothing and she left after feeling satisfied with my comfort. I sat down to read the Times and soon decided that it was a perfect opportunity for a sampling of my new wine, one of the finest Rothschilds in recent years. I must say, I was extraordinarily pleased. I was enjoying the two pastimes I love most, reading and Bordeaux. Before long, I realized I had enjoyed my new bottle of wine to the end and was feeling absolutely no pain. At that moment, I even laughed at the thought of the old man: Soon after, there was a knock at the door. I took one step and straightened myself to greet Miss Bentley. I opened the door and there he was. The monster haunting me. My blood gushed and my heart felt as though it would explode. I began to scream and swear at this hideous creature laughing at me. I don't know where the enargy came from. Those eyes and teeth protruding out at me, demanding my very essence. I couldn't take my eyes away from the old man. I felt his finger reaching into my mind. i struggled and fought. i could feel his grasp. I raised the wine bottle and crashed it down on his head. Two; three, four times, I struck him. I could still feel his hands on me. I didn't know what else to do. He was going to take me, I tell you. I hit him again and again. I beat the old man until the demon let go, and was a pile of mangled death on the floor. It happened so fast I couldn't believe I had killed the old man. If alt confused and frightened, and didn't know what to do next. I thought, what was I to do with the old man's body? I decided to put him in my storage trunk for the time, and dispose of his body later. The old man couldn't weigh much more than eighty pounds, it would be easy. I felt great! The old bastard was out of my life. Hea, hea, hea, hea. I needed to put everything in place, so I sat down to think about it. I began to feelthe pressure in my head pushing through my eye into my mind. I grabbed my head and tried to push the pain out. How could this be? The pain was worse than before. I turned to curse the old man. I wanted to beat him again. His teeth. His teeth were still protruding out at me and that yellow eye with grey mucus was staring at me. I slammed the top down on the trunk and searched the table for my pain formula. I found it with plenty remaining. Oh God I Thank you, f thought. I tilted the bottle and drank until it was empty. I collapsed onto my chair. With my eyes fixed upon the trunk, I attempted to sort out the whole hor~. rible event. I couldn't be lieve it was all true. I want to believe it was just a nig mare, which I would I thought, how could I awaken from. But no, it get rid of his body? That was all true. was my greatest concern, I thought . . . maybe for he was a stranger and the old man wasn't dead. H no one would miss him. I he were only unconscious, thought maybe the attic for I could drag himoutintothe now, and late that night I alley and when he awoke, would wrap his body up maybe, he would be too and take him down the back afraid to come back, and stairs, and dump his body this horrible experience in the sewer -- the would would be over. But when I work. But as I stood up, I opened the trunk, it was left my control in the chair obvious the old man was and collapsed back onto it. dead. His skull was I had never felt so light crushed and disfigured. headed. The wine and The old evil beast would formula mixed had laid the not bother me again. pains in my head to rest andnowitwantedmettoo. i couldn't help for a moment but to find the whole situation amusing. I sat there for a while and wondered what to do. I even thought -- could it be possible that I've overdosed on the formula? I thought of the whole bottle of wine I had drunk, but didn't think it could kill me. I even laughed and recalled past times when I was on medication and still drank my wine and the worst that happened was a good night's sleep. 'Jlacating a 'Dismissal Continuation sheet! A long drive snaking through the piney hills. The claimant requested a hearing based on the merits of his case. Hot little home grown peach stands stood along the road every two or three miles. The Secretary had also declined to be bound by an ex parte Tex as probate court judgement. Two old beer cans rattled and flew around in the bed as the truck fell and rose with the road. Those class members with concurrent applications for the same period of disability shall not be provided with relief. The wheels kicked up a red cloud of dust which ran up behind us like a persistent angry dog. The commission recognizes that the assessment of claimants with chronic pain requires a multidimensional approach to allow for correla tion of functional limitations with reported pain. Two blood red and white heifers lie in the road shading themselves under a big cottonwood. Plaintiff alleges that the agency failed to comply with its own regulations. The brakes slam down and two and a half tons of truck and tire spin and land in an irrigation ditch. The Appeals Council reopened the decision after the 60-day time period for own motion review had expired. Fuck. -- MARK PARENTI, GI �~~~~~~~~-.-~~~~~~~~-.-~~~~~~~23 I haven't told you the most incredibly insane part yet. Well, when Miss Bentley arrived later to check in on me, I was still unconscious in the chai.r with the empty bottles beside me. She tried to wake me and, when she couldn't, ran out for help. The first person she saw was Mr. Walsh from the pharmacy. Theybothcame back to my flat. Mr. Walsh, being familiar with the ingredientsofhisformulaand the alcohol content of the wine, relieved Miss Bentley of her fatal thought when you combine the two. But here is the beginning of the madness. Lying on the table next to the bottle was the scribbled note: I can't take it any longer Who in God's name wrote that note? I sure as hell didn't. After reading the note, Mr. Walsh and Miss Bentley took me to the hospital. On the way to the hospital I began to come to. I asked, "Whereareyoutakingme?" Before I knew what was going on I was in the hospital, tied down, with a doctor asking me, "Why did you try to kill yourself?" I told them, I don't know how many times, I didn't. But they kept showing me the note that I had not seen before. They didn't believe me when I told them I didn't write it. After about two hours of questioning, the doctor left but Miss Bentley and Mr. Walsh remained. I proceeded to tell them about the old man, starting from the beginning. They were very apprehensive, yet sincere. Miss Bentley asked Mr. Walsh if he would go back to my place and see if there was an old man in the trunk. I assured them that there was, and asked themtopleaseforgetlever told them and help get me out of the hospital. An hour later, Mr. Walsh came back and without hesitation, told th~ two of us, there was no old man in the trunk. I asked, "What about the blood?" He responded, "None." I began to recall the moment I beat the old man to death, but Mr. Walsh insisted that I probably hallucinated the wholethingwhileunderthe influenceoftheformulaand wine. I insisted, but I could see Miss Bentley was getting upset so I stopped. But I did insist on the fact that I did not write the note. Mr. Walsh suggested that I get some rest and that maybe it would make sense tomorrow. They left and soon after I fell asleep. The next morning a nurse came to me with breakfast and asked how I felt today. I told her fine and asked for my clothes so I could get dressed. She told me to relax and eat my breakfast and that the doctor would be over to see me afterward. lcouldn'tgetthatdamn note out of my thoughts. I had about convinced myself that the old man must not have been dead, woke up later, and crawled back into his hole wherever it might be. but what about the blood? Mr. Walsh said he didn't see any blood ... andthatdamn note. Where in the hell did it come from? About nine o'clock that morning, the doctor came by to check on me. I told him I was feeling fine and wanted to go home. He ignored my request while he was examining me and when finished he told me that I was not able to leave. I asked, "Why?" He said that the psychiatrist would not be able to see me until tomorrow, but in his opinion based on the "real lite hallucination" and the "attempted suicide" I was a manic depressive suffering from schizophrenia. I asked, "Are you nuts? Where did you get that diagnosis from?" He then informed me of his meeting with Miss Bentley and Mr. Walsh. I guess that was almost six months ago. Since that day, I have been held here against my will. They moved me to this room when I tried to leave. I tried to explain to them that my shop needs to be looked after, but I was told the merchants association was running the store and I should not worry about it. Well that's just fine, I thought. Who possibly could run my store? Not oneofthem havetheslightest notion. About three months ago I thought I had the psychiatrist, Dr. Birkett, convinced I was okay. I found that all he wanted me to do was admit to being sick, and I was on my way to being healed by him. I told him the old man never existedandthesuicidewas an act of desperation. That bloody genius believed I was getting better when I confessedtothoseabsurdities. About a week from my releasedatetheheadaches came back. This time they were many times worse than befon~. The pain is so intense now, it causes me to scream. It's beyond my control. That little bastard has-somehow come back to torment me. I thought that perhaps by writing all of this down I mightbeabletomakesome sense ofit all. I've gotto get out of this place. (There's a knock at the door.) The orderly speaks through the hole in the door, "Mr. James, it's one o'clock. Would you like some tea?" "Teal Teal You know I despise your tea. Your tea is weakl" -- JAMES CHRISTIAN '94 Notes Uphill Struggle: A Longish Note Participation in the process of liberation is an obligatory and privileged locus for Christian life and reflection . .Jn this participation will be heard nuances of the Word of God which are imperceptible in other existential situations.... --Gustavo Gutierrez Nietzsche's Zarathustra on a mountain takes a dwarf off his back and begins to abuse him verbally. Z. demands respect and honor for his success in the uphill struggle, & accuses the dwarf of stealing his thunder. The dwarf, we are to believe, is gravity, and Z.'s own strength-nothing else--has brought gravity to the mountaintop. Z. is the natural master of gravity. Surely this little allegory is not supposed to introduce a principle of Even so, the physics! prophet of the overman is talking ass-backwards. Gravity is no one individ: ual, and no dwarf, but a race of giants: the supple weight of the primal coupiing of earth and sky; the labor and play of the many children of that great union. And without these, Zarathustra, where is your noble struggle? What is uphill if gravity. is conquered? Yours is not vietory, but suicide. The blind and deluded preacher thinks he climbs as he falls into the abyss. Butthat's not whatthis note is about. This note is about a saying of Tertullian, from On the Flesh of Christ: "Mortuus est dei filius; credible est, quia ineptum est. " This saying-which some might wen consider absolute nonsense touted as truth--has become very dear to me: "The Son of God died; it is to be believed, because it is absurd." Again, this might look like some crazed Newspeak inversion: Falsehood is Truth. But though some are mathematicians, we are none of us mathematics; we are human beings, and there is nothing false (i.e., nonexistent) about the absurdity in our lives. But I'm getting ahead of myself. I admit that the teaching in question is not a logical statement, nor would I then read it as a sort of poem. So what is it? The problem, obviously, is that quia. Impossible enough, it would seem, for us to believe in something absurd, and now he wants us to believe just because it is absurd. One sort of way out of this difficulty is to say that Tertullian wants believers to see how the mind rebels at the Mystery of Christ's Crucifixion, in order to persuade Christians to avoid thinking. But this line is too easy, and Tertullian is a tenacious thinker himself. The quia that is troub- �24~~~~~~~-.~~~~~~~~.---~~~~~~~- ling us bears some similarity to the use of ergo in the famous Cartesian dictum, "I think, therefore, I am." What is the sense of therefore in this sentence? I fail to detect any straightforward logical necessity here. Descartes is establishing an initial postulate; if there is any necessity involved, it is of a different and unfamiliar kind. There must be something a little bit like that about Tertullian's because. He must be using the word in some new and strange way, which I shall not attempt to define here. The telling of spiritual experience and the naming of divine phenomena always require strange Ianguage. The new wine must be put in new wineskins. The mystic requires a new vocabulary, because the experience being described and reflected upon (in this case, communion with the Passion of Jesus) is unheard of. Theology begins with the facts, observed and revealed, of living faith. Although only so-called liberation theology has explicitly taken historical raxis as the basis of its reflections, not even the most idealistic thinker has ever been able to ignore the harshness and dread of love in action without avoiding reality. One may take action as more basic than thought without supposing that it is necessarily prior. On this view, theology is the fruit of the pastoral life of the Church. Doctrine is built up in concrate reflections, instead of handed down from a set of abstractions. Tertullian, we remember, is writing in a time of widespread parsecution of Christians. God only knows how many dear friends he may have seen imprisoned, tortured, and killed for their beliefs. In such circumstances, he cannotaffordtowaterdown the gospel message with metaphorical interpretations and sentimental spiritualism. When Jesus asks his followers to take up their crosses, his listeners have never seen a cross hanging from a gold chain. They know he is ref erring to an instrument of violence. ltisimpossibletodeny the logical absurdity of proposing a crucified god. Nevertheless throu h committed engagement with a struggle to overcome internal and external forces of oppression, one may come to see that the whole world rests on this absurdity. It is everything; it is what we breathe. There is too much sorrow for us to believe that the Creator of the world has not taken on our sorrows, and does not sorrow in kinship. As we grow in commitment, suffaring becomes not simply factual, but fully real to us, and to believe that suffering can be humanly meaningful is to believe that the Son of God died. In the faces of the homeless, the tortured, the poor, one can learn, through love, to find the face of Christ. Like climbing a mountain, fulfillment of human aspirations-thebuildingupoftheReign of Heaven--must be paid for in anxiety, failure, tears, and blood. In the words of TeilharddeChardin, "lnone manner or the other it still remains true that...the human epic resembles nothing so much as a way of the Cross." -- THOMAS MADDEN '91 The publishing policy of The Collegian is to treat all writers or artists and the pieces they submit with respect. It seeks to be an outlet for the intellectual and creative life of the community. Whether published or not, all material is welcome for review -- from students, staff, alumni and friends of St. John's. No revision will be adopted without the consent of the writer. Response Is Invited to any of the views expressed within these pages. Please address correspondence and criticism to Box 391 Campus Mall. NEXT DEADLINE: Thursday, Aprll 25 Indeed, the occasions by which people come to undemtand celtJtltlal things SHITI to 1116 not much lees fl'llUVflllous than the nature of the ceh!J8tlal things lsel. -- JohanfliJS Kepler II 1111 I first est 1888 Volume Il Issue 7 Friday, May 10, 1991 Thespeakerin"On the Metamorphosis of Plants" addresses his "beloved," who apparently finds the number of different names ascribed to the flowers in the gardens of the world to be very confusing (lines 14 ). She apparently has difficulty remembering the names and comprehending the differences between them. Goethe has come to know what it is that these many growing things have in common that prompts us to ascribe the name "flower" to all of them. In a later poem entitled "Parabasis," Goethe asserts, ..Everything attests to (or takes after) its own " It is his belief that a long and meticulous scien- tific study of one class of phenomena {such as plants) will transform the chaotic that the sea of particular .... ,,...,,.,_,,....::iol'jnoC! leaves upon the senses into a world ordered a hierarchical structure. Goethe believes carefully conducted science will bring one to understand any individual phenomenon of this class as a mere variation on the theme, or archetype, which holds sway over the entire class (lines 6-7). This archetype is not a "lord of the plants" or some such that has a con- THE IDEA OF ORDER IN GOETHE GERBER LETTERS *PORNOGRAPHY: Its legitimate Side CROSSE *PORNOGRAPHY: Women Not Only Victims FORBIS *POETRY: What's Our Policy? COVEY WAITING POETRY: An Editor's Response MUN KO THE BED LOFTIS FOR PUBLICATION, JULY 19, 1964 CRAIG FLORENCE PHOTOS #333 AND# 689 MULDOON THE GYM IN A TIME OF WAR COVEY ON SIMILARITY IN CONIC SECTIONS ALWAN MODERN MATH VS. EUCLID: A DIALOGUE MARCUS POEM (UNTITLED) LATHAM MUST THE PROSPECT OF DEATH RUIN LIFE? DENK PHOTO (UNTITLED) AFFLERBACH POEM (UNTITLED) CHMURA POINT OF VIEW (A NOTE) MAHAFFEY THE CURTAIN CLOSES(acknowledgements) BROOKS St. John's College, Annapolis, MD 21404 p. p. 4 p. 5 p. 6 p. 7 p. 8 p. 9 p.1o&.11 p. 11 p. 12 p. 15 p.17 p. 18 p.20 p.21 p.22 p.23 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Collegian Description An account of the resource The Collegian began as a student newspaper; became a college community literary publication in 1952 and continued until 1969; became a student newspaper again in 1969; discontinued publication from 1980 until 1989 when it again became a student literary publication.<br /><br />Click on <a title="The Collegian" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=26">Items in The Collegian Collection</a> to view and sort all items in the collection. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Page numeration Number of pages in the original item. 24 pages Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data paper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context The Collegian 19 April 1991 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1991-04-19 Title A name given to the resource The Collegian, April 19, 1991 Description An account of the resource Vol. II, Issue 6 of The Collegian. Published on April 19, 1991. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Brooks, Tequila (Editor) Mlinko, Ange (Editor) Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this publication. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource pdf Student publication https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/3262e7e36eaada80df052dd68cf6aca7.pdf c04595488a87a9af4dae4b921c65537c PDF Text Text 24~~~~~~~-.~~~~~~~~.---~~~~~~~- ling us bears some similarity to the use of ergo in the famous Cartesian dictum, "I think, therefore, I am." What is the sense of therefore in this sentence? I fail to detect any straightforward logical necessity here. Descartes is establishing an initial postulate; if there is any necessity involved, it is of a different and unfamiliar kind. There must be something a little bit like that about Tertullian's because. He must be using the word in some new and strange way, which I shall not attempt to define here. The telling of spiritual experience and the naming of divine phenomena always require strange Ianguage. The new wine must be put in new wineskins. The mystic requires a new vocabulary, because the experience being described and reflected upon (in this case, communion with the Passion of Jesus) is unheard of. Theology begins with the facts, observed and revealed, of living faith. Although only so-called liberation theology has explicitly taken historical raxis as the basis of its reflections, not even the most idealistic thinker has ever been able to ignore the harshness and dread of love in action without avoiding reality. One may take action as more basic than thought without supposing that it is necessarily prior. On this view, theology is the fruit of the pastoral life of the Church. Doctrine is built up in concrate reflections, instead of handed down from a set of abstractions. Tertullian, we remember, is writing in a time of widespread parsecution of Christians. God only knows how many dear friends he may have seen imprisoned, tortured, and killed for their beliefs. In such circumstances, he cannotaffordtowaterdown the gospel message with metaphorical interpretations and sentimental spiritualism. When Jesus asks his followers to take up their crosses, his listeners have never seen a cross hanging from a gold chain. They know he is ref erring to an instrument of violence. ltisimpossibletodeny the logical absurdity of proposing a crucified god. Nevertheless throu h committed engagement with a struggle to overcome internal and external forces of oppression, one may come to see that the whole world rests on this absurdity. It is everything; it is what we breathe. There is too much sorrow for us to believe that the Creator of the world has not taken on our sorrows, and does not sorrow in kinship. As we grow in commitment, suffaring becomes not simply factual, but fully real to us, and to believe that suffering can be humanly meaningful is to believe that the Son of God died. In the faces of the homeless, the tortured, the poor, one can learn, through love, to find the face of Christ. Like climbing a mountain, fulfillment of human aspirations-thebuildingupoftheReign of Heaven--must be paid for in anxiety, failure, tears, and blood. In the words of TeilharddeChardin, "lnone manner or the other it still remains true that...the human epic resembles nothing so much as a way of the Cross." -- THOMAS MADDEN '91 The publishing policy of The Collegian is to treat all writers or artists and the pieces they submit with respect. It seeks to be an outlet for the intellectual and creative life of the community. Whether published or not, all material is welcome for review -- from students, staff, alumni and friends of St. John's. No revision will be adopted without the consent of the writer. Response Is Invited to any of the views expressed within these pages. Please address correspondence and criticism to Box 391 Campus Mall. NEXT DEADLINE: Thursday, Aprll 25 Indeed, the occasions by which people come to undemtand celtJtltlal things SHITI to 1116 not much lees fl'llUVflllous than the nature of the ceh!J8tlal things lsel. -- JohanfliJS Kepler II 1111 I first est 1888 Volume Il Issue 7 Friday, May 10, 1991 Thespeakerin"On the Metamorphosis of Plants" addresses his "beloved," who apparently finds the number of different names ascribed to the flowers in the gardens of the world to be very confusing (lines 14 ). She apparently has difficulty remembering the names and comprehending the differences between them. Goethe has come to know what it is that these many growing things have in common that prompts us to ascribe the name "flower" to all of them. In a later poem entitled "Parabasis," Goethe asserts, ..Everything attests to (or takes after) its own " It is his belief that a long and meticulous scien- tific study of one class of phenomena {such as plants) will transform the chaotic that the sea of particular .... ,,...,,.,_,,....::iol'jnoC! leaves upon the senses into a world ordered a hierarchical structure. Goethe believes carefully conducted science will bring one to understand any individual phenomenon of this class as a mere variation on the theme, or archetype, which holds sway over the entire class (lines 6-7). This archetype is not a "lord of the plants" or some such that has a con- THE IDEA OF ORDER IN GOETHE GERBER LETTERS *PORNOGRAPHY: Its legitimate Side CROSSE *PORNOGRAPHY: Women Not Only Victims FORBIS *POETRY: What's Our Policy? COVEY WAITING POETRY: An Editor's Response MUN KO THE BED LOFTIS FOR PUBLICATION, JULY 19, 1964 CRAIG FLORENCE PHOTOS #333 AND# 689 MULDOON THE GYM IN A TIME OF WAR COVEY ON SIMILARITY IN CONIC SECTIONS ALWAN MODERN MATH VS. EUCLID: A DIALOGUE MARCUS POEM (UNTITLED) LATHAM MUST THE PROSPECT OF DEATH RUIN LIFE? DENK PHOTO (UNTITLED) AFFLERBACH POEM (UNTITLED) CHMURA POINT OF VIEW (A NOTE) MAHAFFEY THE CURTAIN CLOSES(acknowledgements) BROOKS St. John's College, Annapolis, MD 21404 p. p. 4 p. 5 p. 6 p. 7 p. 8 p. 9 p.1o&.11 p. 11 p. 12 p. 15 p.17 p. 18 p.20 p.21 p.22 p.23 �2~~~~~~~-,~~~~~~~~-.~~~~~~~~ crete existence. It is an idea that exists in Goethe's mind, and not in the physical world. The poet could not give his beloved a sketch of the archetypal plant, for any image would be a particular plant, not the common theme that unites all plants (lines 7-8, and the essay by the same title as this poem). Goethe studied and grew plants for years, and did indeed discover his "archetypal plant." After arriving at an understanding of the structure common to all plants, he continued to examine individual plants, now concentrating on their different parts, the growth of these parts, and their relations to one another. As a result of this effort, Goethe comes to a new understanding of plant growth and structure, and emerges from the woods and the gardens with a refined concept of the archetypal plant, a idea that he describes in lines 9-62 of the poem. He now sees the elements of the plant (seed, seed leaves, stem, leaves, calyx, petals, sexual organs, fruit, seed again) as alternating contractions and expansions of the basic structure most r.================::::-1 clearly STAFF Jeff Acker '92 Dianne Cowan '91 George Dolan '92 Robby Nease '92 Carmen Denk '93 Deirdre Crosse '93 Molly Hinshaw '93 Nathan Humphrey '94 Kelly Rock '94 Dawn Beltz, GI Tequila Brooks edit ors Ange Mlinko Kevin Dungey, faculty advisor Tribute to Winfree Smith on p. 16 by Kelly Rock '94 Printed at St. John's College Print Shop L:::===============1 visible in the leaf. Upon thus attaining new level of comprehension, Goethe writes this poem, and a paper describing his findings, both of which bore the same title. Goethe takes a further lesson from this, deciding that what he has seen in this study of plant metamorphoses applies not only to growing things, but to any scientific investigation of any aspect of the world (lines 67-68). Just as the plant a) starts as a seed, b) grows and branches out and c) flowers and bears fruit (which contains more seeds), so Goethe had a) started from a basic knowledge of plants b) learned many particularfacts about plant structure, and c) discovered and archetypal plant. In writing "On the Metamorphosis of Plants," Goethe realizes that his first conception of the archetypal plant had contained the "seeds" that grew into his second investigation, and blossoming, bore the fruit of his second conception of the archetype. Thus Goethe believes he has discovered a paradigm for scientific investigation: begin with an experiential knowledge of a class of phenomena, conduct a painstakingly detailed series of experiments on the subject, and reap the fruit of your labors as the phenomena seem to organize themselves into an archetype before your very eyes. The archetype is then the seed that will grow into a new and more refined archetype. One by one now, though numberless, germs are impelled into swelling, Sweetly wrapped in the womb, likewise swelling, of fruit. Nature here closes her ring of the energies never exhausted, Yet a new one at once links to the chain that's closed, That the chain may extend into the ages forever, And the whole be infused amply with life, like the part (lines 57-62). In a previous essay, I described the confusion facing such authors and ~~~~~~~~-,,-~~~~~~~~.,.-~~~~~~~-3 poets as Kierkegaard, and Nietzsche. When I ref erred to their common state of confusion as a "problem," it was suggested that I describe "what is aimed at, ... what these people are after." This is simple: each is after a solution to the problem. Such troubled people may or may not actively seek anything. are conscious of a lack, a want of something, but may not know exacilywhatthis something is. Those who get beyond this nagging feeling of loss tend to seek what they feel they need. Usually their goal can be summarized as a new set of first principles by which to order their world such that it is comprehensible to them, and such that they feel their position within their world to be secure. Goethe has successfully rendered his world comprehensible to his beloved, and to himself. many Which no may now fill with confusion your mind. (lines 63-66). Goethe sees a world of phenomena, each of which conforms to an appropriate archetype. And in fact, all phenomena conform to one archetype: that of a chain of threephase inquiries, every link of which culminates in a new depth of understanding. ff one now rereads the first eight lines of the poem, a new interpretation reveals Consider every itself. flower described to be a system of beliefs about the world. The first two lines now describe the skeptic's reaction to the plethora of philosophical and metabeloved, once physical systems of belief. more on the teeming of so The skeptic studies many systems of belief, but always finds the most recently contemplated systern to the one before Goethe declares that the all have certain features in common, so it must be to them under one "sacred enigma" (lines 5-7). When viewed through Goethe's eyes, the world becomes a consistent whole in which the phenomena conform to ing patterns. The terms consistent and repeating must be applied here, or Goethe will be unable to conduct the experiments basic to his work. Though experience Goethe learns about the world, and through further experience he broadens and deepens his understanding of it. But does this view of the cosmos require that it be so consistent as to be unchanging. Nature brings forth flowers, can she bring forth new flowers, according to the same archetype? I see nothing to prevent The first eight lines of Goethe's poem (translated by Michael Hamburger). Overwhelming, beloved, you find this mixture of thousands, Riot of flowers let loose over the garden's expanse; names you take in, and always the last to be spoken out the one heard before, barbarous both to your ear. All their shapes are akin and none is quite like the other; So to a secret law surely that chorus must point, To a sacred enigma. Dear friend, how I wish I were able All at once to pass on, happy, the word that unlocks! �F 4 an understanding of our such evolution. What is stil curate world based on experience, unclear is, can the arche and also states that our itself evolve? Thi understanding naturally question is not one that deepens over time, which Goethe could answer based on the I some Knc>wheC1c1e is what Goethe had always have discussed here. For is changing. desired to believe, as is all Goethe can his In any event, Goethe evident when we consider •, ... ,.~,,. ..., • .,. ...A;,....., of the ictita<:>niu reassured in the last ten lines of the as it allows poem: time of its first conception, more accurate than his second understanding will ever be, if the world is gradually changing as he observes it. In that case, an ac- and consider then how in us from the germ of acquaintance there grew, dear to us, habit's grace, Fride~fshin from deep within us burst out of its wrapping, And how amour at last blessed it with blossom and fruit. Think how the forming, unfolding, Lent to our feelings now this, now that so different model in this Because, our holiest blessing looks for the consummate marriage of minds, in the end. One of things, that concerted in seeing, Both to the conjoined, find their way. -- JOE GERBER '91 Ms. Umerlik's article, "The eff eci of Pr11•nn;1"11'!!l11n.nu on Women and Children" was an interesting exploration of the dark and illegitimate side of pornography. However, her condemnation of the pornography business was swift and unjustified. By not differentiating between legitimate (legal) erotic magazines, such as ,;;;,,.,,,.,,..,..,. A 11 .,, ... Hustler, and criminal abuse (pedophilia and murder) such as child pornography and snuff movies, Ms. Umerlik would eradicate the entire genre on the basis of a few publishers. It is easy to blame erotic images and their presentation as the cause of the abuses Ms. Umerlik describes. most pornographic material available in theaters and bookstores today is far more tame than the descriptions in the article. All pornographic magazines legal in the United States have strict laws and standards. The magazines Penthouseand Hustler do not show the physical abuse of either women or children, con- trary to what was stated in the article. The publishers of those magazines go to great lengths to ensure the models are over eighteen years old. Even the entrants in the amateur photo contest in Hustler must provide two forms of identification and their Social Security numbers. There are also many agencies that deal specifically with erotic models and actors both male and female. The business of pornography in the United States is designed by law to prevent the abuses Ms. Umerlik describes. Basically most pornog- �6 ~~~~~~~--.~~~~~~~~-,-~~~~~~~~ tors of sexual assault and not all perpetrators are men. As long as sexual assault is addressed solely as a problem of women, a problem they can prevent by constantly exercising caution, they will be victims. Whether they are actually physically assaulted or not, this publie sentiment serves only to further victimize women. I believe the articles recently printed on campus are more harmful than helpful. keeping the focus on adult women and their outside activities, we fail to raise anyone's consciousness about rape and only succeed in giving this group a few helpful hints on how to prevent being sexually assaulted. And by ignoring the reality that the pornography industry is a mistreatment of all people, Poetry: What is The C fl · , I' ? O egian S po ICY · male and female, young and old, who become entangled in its web, because is not just built the on the of women, we are allowing the problem to continue. It is necessary for people to realize that most sexual assault occurs also in the home and in places considered to be "safe", i.e., church, school, on a date, etc. For the percentage of assaults that occur outside of these "safe" places and are perpetrated by strangers, the articles, which I have been speaking against, might be of help. I would add, however, that it should apply to both gende rs and to all ages. A third of the perpetrators I worked with indicated they had assaulted both men and women, far fewer went prowling but, rather, knew their prey; and the majority assaulted children, though not exclusively, that were placed in their care. Perpetrators are father, mother, sibling, uncle, aunt, neighbor, teacher, pastor, preacher, etc. How do people protect themselves against such behavior? One small step might be to stop society's view that sexual assault is a problem of adult females and to confront the truth -- sexual assault does not discriminate, it is a societal problem affecting both genders and all ages. Sexual assaultissickandwrong, and no matter how it affects our need to see the family unit as a safe haven and our friends and leaders as worthy of our trust, we can no longer look the other way. BONNIE FORBIS, GI In the future, please be more judicious with what you send -- you ought to be your first critic, not us. You have a tendency to ramble, sometimes even be boring, so I suggest you not use poetry as a diary mode -- hone your ability to say something with more heat rather than airiness. Poetry is serious business, so I'll be frank. publication. It's true, however, that. it's .harder for me to be ob1ect1ve about my own work than about another person's. It may be true that these poems are rambling and boring, though I still feel them equal to works like "Spring Stories" and "Beautiful lo," which were published in issue 8. As for using poetry as a diary mode, it may be a failing that I only write about things I know and experience, but I think th~ if you further consider m poetry you will find that has a more general app cation than you have su Since you have expressed your willingness to receive letters, I would like to comment on something you have published, not in The Collegian, but personally to me, namely, the letter which accompanied the return of my submissions. I have always considTo remind you of what it says, here is a copy of it: ered myself to be my first and perhaps strongest critic, and have tried to Dear Mr. Covey, Here are your poems, submit to you only that both printed and unprinted. which I felt to be worthy of you for the frankness of your I'll consider what said. -- JEFF COVEY '93 lines --for writers as well as for the critical staff of this In my year as co-editor of The Collegian I have been confounded by the ton of bad poetry, and nonpoetry, we have received. No less am I concerned over the sheer ignorance of our own staff members on the subject. On what grounds does the average St. John's student judge a fellow student's poem? Is it accessible on the first reading? Does it have an "original idea"? lsitsomehowfa.miliar -- like a poem (or ms) I have read before? familiar because --1 write this? How does the average John's student come to e poetry? Do I have an inal idea"? Is it spring? I depressed? Am I in ? Am I too tired to write ntences in my diary ht? 1) YOU MUST READ POETRY IN YOUR LANGUAGE I am well aware that many believe poor too difficult is to read. Yet many of the 2) RECOGNIZE AND AVOIDCUCHE Infinite combinations of words exist. Each person is of unique DNA. From these two facts alone one would think would be amazing by evewritten every ryone who sets pen to paper. The impression I got is that this year, there are a finite numberof and a finite number of images and with which to describe them. Beautiful beautiful sunsets, moonshine. Death and REALIZE THAT MUSIC AND TECHNIQUE MAKE THE NOT NOT Modernists or FEELINGS. us) the t:ll2'.a04etn«ans Your original ideas you have absorbed from belong in essays; you will the culture Un<X>nsc1<::>us1v be more interested in exDo not write these poems. plaining them than in craft- �s~~~~~~~~-r-~~~~~~~~~...-~~~~~~~~- ing a poem. Neither a.re your emotions to in your "feelings" are no more interesting to me than the weather in Vancouver. The balance and between what you -what you leave that is and then you won't be Yeats. Dickinson knew a poem when she felt that the of her head or when she felt so cold no fire could warm her. Robert Frost talked the "immortal constitute a poem. 4) TAKE PAINS AND BE HUMBLE You must labor and then by all means write And if you submit it to The Collegian, make sure it's and in its fin al form. No editor should have to up with rough drafts and inserts in ink. There are longer, better, and kinder essays on than this one. Look them up. Better yet, buy and read real poetry -Such books cost less than CD's, and are infinitely more dear. -- ANGE MLINKO , Editor '90 - '91 held Michael's attention for He had watched them come onto his street He from the main had watched the ctr.cu:i.tl11nht be shot out and reolaCE~d and shot out and rec11acea. and there was so much dirty and other rubbish up around the bed that it seemed to lie a footbelowthefloor, in some sort of mysterious depression. On weekends or days when they both called in sick could find most everything they needed in the heaps that surrounded the bed; old potato chips, warm beers, their box and some tapes. In the midst of such opulence there was no need for them to up in the morning, or the afternoon, so rarely did either. While Margaret stared at the tube, the box an indeciferable tune, muffled the moldy towels amassed on top of ~~~~~~~~~-,---~~~~~~~~----.~~~~~~~~-9 it. lthadbeenplayingwhen Chrysler. As they shoved feet and wrapped around Michael was still in the the failed dirty old man into them like snakes, pulling house. When he left the the Chrysler, they slammed him back inside the house. house Margaret had not his balding head into the He looked down at them bothered to reach over to top of the car. Then, the and they were gone. "I must turn it off, but had simply entire company, save the be falling asleep," he Margaret had turned on the tube with the tall hooker, drove away. thought. remote in her lap. When this entertainment asked him to get their dinEarlier that evening Mi- was over, a new back up ner from the take out place. chael had lifted himself from unit arrived and the hooker "I don't feel well enough to the bed to go to the toilet. began to strut about the get it myself," she had said, Upon returning he did not comeragain. Suddenlyshe laying on her back in their lower himself back into bed, turned to Michael and said, expansive bed. She was but held up a newspaper "Do you want to party?" naked and sweating inside he found in the can. "The Michael did not know what the un-airconditioned bednew Schwarzenegger to say, so he got up and room. The sheets were movie is out, we should see went back inside to apolo- tossed aside and trailed off the edge of the bed into the it." "Aw honey, I feel a sick gize to his girlfriend. today, 'sides the old Sch- Two nights later Michael heap of dirty laundry. Even warzenegger movie is on sat on his porch again. awake he could imagine HBO tonight." "You'd feel Sitting in the plastic lawn those red sheets continubetter if you got out of bed chair he thought he could ing under the laundryand got some exercise." stillfeelthedeepredsheets under the laundry and out "Christ, Mike, you know that of the bed wrapped around the door and around his will just make me dizzy and him. Hetriedtoshakethem ankles, coiling like snakes puke and shit." "You'd also off, but they fell about his and pulling him back into feel a lot better if you~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ stopped feeling sorry for yourself." A fight had ensued, and Michael stormed For Publication, July 19, 1964 out, saying he'd go to the movie himself. After slamI. ming the door with just the dramatic affect he was Thislooking for, he sat down on -mine own his porch, lit a smoke, found eyes a fifth he had abandoned have fearedthere earlier, and watched to be sent the outside. away The tall hooker got a and customer. He watched as light she got into the car and not pulled out a badge and a on gun. The white Chrysler furthering storm. urst open with blue unirms who stormed the her car, yanking the -- ROBERT CRAIG '94 uld-be customer from it pushing him into the 1,:;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;:J �+"" 11 back to "she had her back in a way would insure It caused the sweat to roll off her breasts and down her shoulders. The tall thin hooker had the street to herself. She could turn tall thin tricks for all the cars that sto1pp0d, but she never did. All that the men saw and a gun, was a and then a storm of blue uniforms shoving them into a large American car and was very sick. Sick from booze and she lay bare on her back in the broad bed. She had cast the sheets and the black lows into the piles around the so that the only thing she touched was the bed itself. If she lay still, hoarding her strength, she might be able to have a drink later on. She might even feel like screwing. This was all she hoped for. She was a strong woman once. She tried to remember where that strength came from. She wanted to --AMY MULDOON '94 use that strength to get out of bed and fetch the bourbon from on top of the fridge. She couldni even begin to consider recovering from this bout of illness. She hoped her boyfriend would return soon. Outside, Michael was battled at the hooker. Didn't she know that he has been watching her all evening? "What'll it be, bpy?" she cajoled. "I have a girlfriend," was the only thing Michael could think to say. The hooker looked at him incredulously. Michael got up and went back inside. "I'll tell her the carry out place is closed," he thought. The next night was the same. The thin white hooker was the only girl working. "They must have arrested all the other girls," Michael mumbled to himself. He pondered those strung out whores who sagged on the comer, waiting more to die than for a client. "I mean, the're just gross to look at, Christ, I think Margaret moves faster than they do. I cani believe that bitch. Some people just want to suffer, that's what it is. If she were drowning she wouldn't want me to throw her a lifejacket..." Michael was lit up like like the fourth of July. He had just walked out during their biggest fight yet. They had been drinking in bed all day and just started yelling. Most people have acer tain threshold of intoxication beyond which they are only capable of yelling. At parties this causes peo pie to shout song lyrics or play drinking games that require yelling. In bed the only way to yell like that is to have a fight. So that is what Michael and Margaret did. Theirs was not so much a relationship as an endless audition for the and Scratchy Show." In the middle of the fight, Michael suddenly stood up in the bed. He started quaking like the earth, trembling at Margaret and her dipsomatic illnesses. "Are you listening to me?I" Margaret was lying flat on her back and hollering. Michael's fear surrounded him, and everything that he saw had -- AMY MULDOON '94 to pass it first. behind him, he talked to himself for hours. Then the hooker in front of her skinny eac~n oias!=:mn near him breasts over the rail. "Want in turn, him to lean some action?" "Yeah, turn first to one side and then me one of your cop tricks, the other as he shied away do me now." Then all was from their claustmr>hoibic blue and his head hit the Not doorframe of a large white how else to escape, Mi- American automobile. chael fled to the So that is how he ended up on the that night, boxers. drunk in his the roof Protected only and the wali of the house -- J. ROBERT LOFTIS '91 a The cables approach on my left, Draw near, pass by, around themselves The open space on the other side of the rail. The running track in this old gym itself around me Trying to shake off the extra of the winter. Those who row, waiting for a break in the weather To stretch out their slender oar-wuin~ And glide through the clouds of a reflected Pivot on me too in their wide ems:>tical We are one in our need to feel blood in our veins, But we are not what we do. One who was, or will one who waits for a call, �Is coming in now, walking and spinning his curve In and out of my view, resisting the curve So he can enter the weight room beneath my feet Where he prepares, has been preparing, Maintains the preparation he began when the radios began Nearly a month ago. The building spins, spins, but slower now, Slower, slower, slower, until the pounding of blood in my ears Can be heard over the pounding of the floor against my feet. It has the strength for one more circuit, then grinds to a stop And passes upward, leaving me on the lower floor. I shower, and dress, and whistle as I brush my hair, And hear the sound of weight against weight, Cable pulling weight, and pulley squeaking against cable. And as I step out onto the now-emptied floor, Readied for another day, I turn around and one who is above me now And works his necessary workout though he knows, as I do, That he'll never be ready enough. I turn against my tum and pass into the morning twilight As the reveille sounds at the Academy next door. ·~~~~~~~.-~~~~~~~~--..~~~~~~~~-13 so AC = sq. GO/AD therefore sq. MUsq. Zl = sq. GO/sq. AD therefore ML/ZL...GD/AO. It is clear then that the greater the parameter, the greater the ordinates and consequently the "wider" the parabola. Why does the above ratio of ordinate to abscissa mean similarity? Because this continuous proportionality between sections means that a parabola with a larger or smaller parameter than another differs from the other only in scale and not in "shape"; or, to apply ter of the first is to the paEuclid's definition, its sides rameter of the second as {ordinates and abscissas) the abscissa of the first is to about its severally equal the abscissa of the secangles (right angles to the ond, then the ordinate of axis) are proportional. the first is to its abscissa as The same ratio of ordi- the ordinate of the second nateto abscissa only holds is to its abscissa{See figfor hyperbolas in which the ure 2]. ratio of upright side to transLet there be an hyperverse side is the same in bola with transverse side Consequently all AB and parameter AC, and each. hyperbolas with the same lettheordinateGObetaken "eidos" (the rectangle con- perpendicular to the axis. tained by u,t) are similar. Let there be another hyGiven two hyperbolas perbola with transverse such that the parameter of side KZ and parameter ZX the first is to its transverse such that AB/AC=KZIZX. side as the parameter of And let the ordinate ML be the second is to its trans- taken such that AC/ZX ... AO/ verse side, if the parame- ZL. I say that GD/AD=MU --JEFF COVEY '93 On Similarity In Conic Sections In book six of the Elements Euclid def in es similarity for rectilinear figures: "Similar rectilinear figures are such as have their angles severally equal and the sides about the equal angles proportional." One can make this definition applicable to conic sections by examining the ratio between ordinate and abscissa in a given conic section and comparing it to the same ratio in another. It is shown in the following proof that if abscissas are taken in two given parabolas proportional to the ratio between the parametersofthegivenparabolas, then the ratio of ordinate to abscissa in each parabola is the same. Since this is true for any two parabolas, all parabolas are similar. Given two parabolas, when an arbitrary abscissa is taken on one, and an abscissa is taken on the second such that the parameter of the first is to the parameter of the second as the abscissa on the first is to the abscissa on the second, then the ordinate of the first is to its abscissa as the ordinate of the second is to its abscissa.[See figure 1] Let there be a parabola with axis AB and parameter AC, and let the point G be taken on the section and the perpendicular ordinate GD be taken to the axis. Let there be another parabola with a parameter of different magnitude, and let ZK be the axis, ZX the parameter; let ZL be taken on the axis such that AC/ ZX=AD/Zl. I say that GD/ AD=MLIZL. For ACIZX=AD/ZL, so ZXIZL-AC/AD But ZX(ZL) =sq. ML (Apollonius I. 12) so ZX = sq. MLIZL, and ZXIZL =sq. MUsq. Zl, therefore AC/AD=sq. MUsq.ZL. And AC(AO) = sq. GD FIGURE I: PARABOLAS FIGUREIY: HYPERBOLA M 0 !E±· FIGURE 111: HYPERBOLA p FIGURE 11: HYPERBOLAS x G- M..,.--'ti B H G' A D c~ I( :t= �14~~~~~~-r-~~~~~~-r-~~~~~~ ZL. sq. Ml/Zl- """"',1........ 1, _ , For the square on Ml but the Zl ACfZX-AD/ZL clear from the above that thegreatertheratiooftransverse side to upright side, the "narrower" the hyperbola, and the lesser the the "wider" the hyperbola (the smaller the ratio of t : u, the greater the ordinates). Furthermore all parallel sq. MUsq.ZL-ZXIZKAC/AD. sections taken in a given For the same reasons given cone and axial triangle will be similar. This is readily in the case of ZX/ZL, apparent in the case of AC/AD· sq. GD/sq. AD-AC/AB, parabolas, since all parabolas are similar, and all paratherefore sq. Zl - ZXIZK ... bolic sections in a given sq. GD/sq. AD - AC/AB. cone and axial triangle are parallel to the same direcBut trix (the side of the axial triZX!Z.K-AC/AB angle opposite to the secZL= tion). For hyperbolas (resq. sq. GD/sq. AD ferring to figure 4) the therefore square on KA and the recMUZL-GD/AD. tangle BK, KC will be the It is apparent then that if same for any ~yperbola ZX!Z.K=AC/AB is not true, which has a section paralthen the same subtraction lel to the given hyperbola cannot occur and MU (KA is taken from the verZX(ZL )+ ZX(sq. Therefore r11van1r1n ZL-GD/AD cannot be true. tex parallel to a given ~ecsq. MUZL= So in such a case two tion). Consequently, since zx + hyperbolascannotbesimi- sq. KA: rect.. BK, KC:: FH So solving for iar, i.e., when their eidei : FL (Apollomus I. 12), FH : ZK= are not the same. It is also Fl will be the same for any .----------_L_--:---:---;----::-::-;-:::--=;-=:-i parallel section. It has been Once you know you are a typical member ~f ~~lass shown that all hyperbolas of individuals, you must' act as if your own md1v1dual with the same ratio of transactions were to be multiplied manyfold, because they verse side to upright side inevitably will be. In effect, to sample yourself is. to are similar. FH : FL is this sample the field, and if you fail to do _what Y.ou wish ratio, and therefore all paryou will be very disappointed by allel hyperbolic sections the rest would the rest as well. Thus it pays a lot to reflect caref.ully within a given cone are about one's situation in the world before defecting, similar. that is, to do the naively selfish act. You ~ad better be prepared for a lot of other people copping out as and the same flimsy excuse. "lrr:::at11'1n;:i111tv Douglas R. Hofstadter, Is the Square Root of All Evil" -- WES ALWAN '93 ~--~-~-~~-,--~~~~~~~---,,--~--~---15 Chuckling, Viete re- general pattern of his work." plied, "Dear Winfree, when "Close," crowed Viwill you ever get rid of that ete, "but no cigar! Book V limiting phrase, Where on was notthe breaking of any Earth?' We are beyond pattern, but, rather, a teassuch physical boundaries ing hint of the genuine althat imprisoned us in our gebraic, yes, algebraic, past life on Earth; we are in pattern that lay behind the Afterworld now, The everything that Euclid Land of the Great Eidh, the wrote. You see, Euclid place where, would have us think that he THERE IS NO PROB- synthesized all of his LEM WHICH CANNOT BE proofs, that he actually SOLVEDlll" started with the known ('and Viete stomped his foot Reminded of his new have you,• Viete turned to and exclaimed, "formulas, eternal life in Math Heaven, me with a wink, 'ever known not forms!" Winfree sat still for a min- that which has no part? I "But why," questioned ute reflecting on infinity. But certainly haven't... and isn't Klein, "do you insist on such then he remembered his that the point? ). But it is a division? Don't you real- original question. "But why impossible for any math, ize that were it not for the do you claim that ancient ancient or modern, to be forms developed in ancient mathematicians are set on fundamentally synthetic. mathematics, your new a course of purposeful No, my friends, all math is algebra would fall flat on its deception, Viete?" fundamentally analytic 111" face?" "Well," Viete began, "But, with a. few exViete rolled his eyes "Take Euclid, for example. ceptions, Euclid certainly with detectable impatience, I suppose you remember doesn't seem very analyti"Jacob,"heexplained, "you the shock that Book V of cal to me," Klein protested. misunderstand me. It is Euclid's Elements created "Of course not!" cried not ancient mathematics I following the very different Viete triumphantly. "That's spit upon. To the contrary, nature of his first four where the deception lies! I kiss the long-decayed feet books?" Euclid hid the analysis of of such late great masters "Why, yes," pondered his work behind all those as Euclid and Apollonius, Smith, "I've often wondered pretty pictures in his books for these are the feet that why the fifth book disturbed (never trust,' he whispered danced with laughter and me." to me with a confiding glee that their correspond"That's an easy one," smirk, 'a book with picing minds had completely broke in Klein, "Greek math tures'). He was a smart fooled everyone with their was purely specific and guy, Euclid, but not as geometrical masks of de- dealt with the first inten- smart as he would have us ception." tions of things, the repre- think. You see, the best "Deception!" broke in sentations of 'pure objects,' way to make himself apWinfree Smith, who accom- like the circle and the line. pear even smarter than he panied Klein wherever he So when Euclid began dis- actually was, he realized, went, "Are you saying that cussing magnitudes in was deliberately to conceal Euclid was trying to deceive Book V, magnitudes which his knowledge of algebra us? How on earth are you are not pure objects, but, in to make his discoveries apoing to defend such a fact, are conceptions of pear more striking to his resumptuous statement?" these objects, he broke the gullible disciples!" Modern Mathematics vs . Euclid: A Dialogue �4jiiiiiS ! 16 ~~~~~---:--:--~~~~,--~~~~~17 ties between the ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ two. However, Mr. Viete, you must Dedication to Winfree Smith take Mr. Smith's and my own gentle § With the return of Spring follows a renewal of rebukes to heart, § old friendships, a remembrance of lost acquainfor the truth of the tances and the rebirth of anxiousness, happiness, matter lies in the and life. St. John's is bustling with the blooming of recognition of first the trees, the return of the robins and the hopefulintentions. Ancient ness of change. Our community continues on as if math should not be the days will never end and life will never be studied underyour int~~rupted. Still the ~ame reli_eved faces are seen modern terms, but exitmg classrooms with the chime of the bells. Still, it should be taken philosophical questions of life are being explored, ~ on its own ancient asked, devoured. We exist in a world all our own, terms. Who are unique and everlasting. you, anyway, to However, one part of our life has changed. A § insist that your ~aluable friend, tutor, and student has left the activ- § of thinking is way the ity of the college and the world that surrounds it. only way there is?" Winfree Smith will be missed as a friend to the § "Who am I? § community. He will be missed as a tutor that aided Who AM I?" thun§ in developing ideas. And, he will be missed most as dered Viete, am § a student; a student of life that offered insight to the § the man who"I can n~ver ending.questions that inhabit St. John's. Still, § say with full confiWmfree Smith leaves the community with his dence that immortal ideas of life and knowledge, his kindness, THERE IS § and his experience. NO PROBLEM As Odysseus gained immortality in his exploits § at sea, his adventures on land, and his honorable § WHICH CANNOT BE SOLVEDlll nature, Winfree Smith has gained a similar image of § I am the originator immortality in his activities at St. John's. As Rev. § of the new intellecWinfree Smith sails on a different voyage, one of tual era!" answers and resolutions rather than questions and "Wow," murconfusion, our community will carry his efforts formured Smith with ward into the generations to follow and new waves admiration, "that's of thought. quite an assertion. § Thank you, Winfree Smith, for your effort and Can I § participation in the St. John's Community. May you § that?"quote you on § find the answers we all seek. "Sure," said Viete, patting the "Now wait a minute," gsbm, the same algebra Reverend on the head, "if interrupted Smith, ..Hold it that we moderns use, is ut- you're really nice, I'll even grant you the honor of writright there. I agree with terly ridiculous!" "Though," commented ing a preface to my works!" you, but not completely. I At this point, all three will concede that the Klein, "one must admit the Greeks were capable of linear continuity between men turned to me and thinking algebraically, but ancient and modern math. asked what I thought about to say that Euclid knew al- There are definite similari- the conversation taking ideas into in the physical reality, that is when the validity of our ideas gets put to the test." "But look around us " cried the men, "here wear~ in Math where bodiless forms flit around T t t t t More than I hunger to have written Death and to write this least of melodies the ......,.. n1nn mn1rl.rinn1....; ....1 sings to my window. t t I have heard a mockingbird into the core of summer t t t 2 1 t a l'nlf"'""""'" of Strauss that I danced to. § white gloves lay over the back of a chair, I stood at the window. But this melody through the and emerged more than orchestration. mnil"'kinn1... ;...1 It left no mark of Vienna Blood on the grey feathers that hide a mockingbird. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ No mark on the white feathers that let a mockingbird be seen. we -- DAHRA LATHAM '91 ourL:;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;~ �18~~~~~~~-.-~~~~~~~-r~~~~~~~~ before us, where we can hear the passionate grunts of formulas mating with each other in the bushes behind us, and where the road to infinity lies right under our long-decayed feet. How do you propose to put our ideas to the test of reality in such surreal surroundings?" "That," I replied, "is the whole purpose of my journey to Math Heaven. I am not dead like you, you see. I have come as a messenger from the Other Side, to bring you guys down to earth for a day, just long enough to write down your ideas for the world you left behind. Once done this, you can return to your eternal mathematical conversation in the sky, while we back on Earth reflect on the works you leave behind for us." Must Prospect of Death Ruin Ben Qoheleth (which means "speaker of the assembly"), thewriterofthe book of Ecclesiastes, is a pre-Christian philosopher like Socrates, but unlike Socrates in other ways. He speaks to the situation of all human beings as they face death, instead of emphasizing the special few who devote their lives my knowlpost-modern mathematical I led the three men a brief corridor of time-travel and led them to their respeciive studies where each found for him paper and pencils and the momentous task of recording his mathematical ideas for and future students of like While Klein and Smith their ideas for the ma.thematical I retreated to the computer room in Pinkney to record, while it was still fresh in my the conversation that had just between us ... and, even now, as I approach the end of the saga, I realize there is so much more to the ideas of these men than what these scant few pages of notes I man- aged to reap from the day's discussion reflect. Butthen I am comforted by the thought that, at the end of this the writings of Klein, and Smith, will be in print for all the world to see, and others more adept than I will be able to catch all that I missed in the works of these great men ... but only those who read this account of what really happened today up in Math Heaven will realize the important role I, a lowly St. John's student, played in bringing these mathematical works into existence ... to the search for wisdom. His conclusions about how to live given what we can know about death and the afterlife apply to the common man more than do those of Socrates. And he goes about philosophy differently than Socrates does; he doesn't speculate much about invisible and unknown things but tries to make sense of the obvious problems of life. His religious outlook is also differ- man lives and ultimately rewards the good and punishes the bad, despite temporary appearances to the contrary. Meaningless, meaningless, everything is futile and meaningless. Thus opens Ecclesiastes. Why is everything under the sun meaningless? Because there is nothing new and nothing lasting, nothing interesting and nothing dependable. Oohelethtries ent from Socrates'; he is in the Jewish tradition and follows a God who is the Creator and who controls the circumstances of hu- This is an excerpt from Ms. Denk's Senior Essay, "Facing our Mortality." -- NANCY MARCUS '93 L___ _ _ _ _ _ ____. ~~~~~~~~-,-~~~~~~~-.~~~~~~~-19 out all kinds of pleasures willo~rtakemealso. What fit in. You can find satisfacand projects to see what is then do I gain by being tion in food and in the work good, but nothing satisfies. wise?' I also realized that of your hands as long as All the things of the body with much wisdom comes you remember that everywhich Socrates said were much sorrow; the more thing is futile. hindrances- food, sex, knowledge, the more grief. Questioner: That sounds wealth, honor- are found to We do long for mean- like a paradox. Work and be foolish and pointless, ing, for an understanding play are meaningful only though evil only if pursued of all the perplexing events when you realize they have at the expense of others. we see, and I sympathize no meaning? Potential pleasures are with Socrates in his great Ooheleth: Yes. People are spoiled by the knowledge desire to know truth. God bound to be disappointed of misfortunes, oppression has put eternity in our if they do their work for the of the poor, and the fact hearts, but we need to sake of something else, like that nothing lasts forever. accept our natural limits. wealth or honor, because tf only one could see the like Kant, I approach phi- these things are certain to future- when he would die losophy with the question, end. "All man's efforts are and whether his hard- "What is the limit of our for his mouth, yet his appeeamedworkwouldlast. But knowledge?" We can't be tite is never satisfied." this is not possible. "No sure what happens to our Eating, drinking and findone knows what is coming- spirit after we die; we don't ing satisfaction in your work who can tell him what will even know when we will rather than in futile purhappen after him?" Oohe- die or what will happen to- suits is good and proper leth concludes after all his morrow. As I said in the because it's your lot; that's searching that "a man can book, "No one can com- your job assignment from do nothing better than to prehend what goes on God. "There is nothing eat and drink and find sat- under the sun. Despite all better for men than to be isfaction in his work." his efforts to search it out, happy and do good while I thought it would be man cannot discover its they live." The ability to good to ask Ben Ooheleth meaning. Even if a wise enjoy these things is a gift himself to comment on Ee- man claims he knows, he of God. clesiastes, so I sent a ques- cannot really comprehend When things go well, tioner to interview him. For it." enjoy it and be thankful; our purposes, he is up to Questioner: But you also when things go badly, you date with 20th century his- said that wisdom is better won't be as affected by it tory and has read most of than folly. since you're not grasping the Great Books in his free Ooheleth: Wisdom is bet- for success. And you know time. He kindly agreed to terthan folly and betterthan it will eventually be better speak as if he hadn't found strength, but it cannot do for righteous people. Hold out by now what happens everything we want it to. It your earthly existence after death. can help us know how to loosely, as the Stoics recQuestioner: You conclude live and please God. ommend. This life may not that there's nothing better Questioner: If eating, drink- be all we'd like it to be, but than eating, drinking, work- ing and being merry are it's what God has given us. ing, etc. What about the meaningless, why do you Questioner: How did you continual search for wis- recommend doing them? and Socrates come to difOoheleth: Well, I didn't say ferent conclusions about dom? Ooheleth: I thought in my the part about being merry, the value or goodness of heart, 'The fate of the fool although I suppose it could physical things? �·~~~~~~~-.~~~~~~~~-.~~~~~~~~21 death. And I tried to understand why these happened. I was looking for reasons and better things for man, and I realized that there were none available. I didn't find answers, but I did find a solution: acceptance. My attitude was something like Epictetus'philosophy. The difference between us, though, is that he stoPDE1d seeking physical gratifica- tion, while I stopped seeking mental gratification or answers to my bigger questions. He said to not care if you don't get dessert or if your wife dies; I said to do work for its own sake rather than for posterity, wealth, or honor. Both of us aim at not being disappointed. To me, toiling for an uncertain goal is like chasing the wind- perhaps the same wind that Cebes and Simmias feared would scatter their soul. Happiness comes from living in the present, taking what comes, and finding satisfaction in your work rather than hoping to make millions or be famous or find the truth. -- RAMONA DENK '91 In the first chill of the darkening autumn, though still in the childhood of my life I tossed a toy: a paper hat- no more no lessbought for half-a-penny at a street corner from an old and deeply pressed gypsy woman bound in silken colours the hat : an old edition of the Sunday Times a picture of Churchill upon the crown and the word in bold upon the side: FONTAINEBLEU spun twice, thrice, and then caught up by a cold cat gut current cutting through the still silent stream shot out upon its odyssey out past the startled swans and lazy rowers it sped faster beyond the bend where the mallards hide in the cattails until my small and chubby hands gave one last wave goodbye... -- MICHAEL ... and now, in the childhood of a different century in the darkening autumn of my life: the leaves turning honey-yellow upon charcoal trees of still another country I find myself waving: a withered hand reflected over calming waters to a paper hat that I would like to think is the same journeying still upon the stream I wave and wave: to this last and lost companion as it disappears around the bend where the duckweed grows thickest. -- ALEKSEI CHMURA '94 �.... volunteered to the beer when our co-ed dorm voted to have , she said. "I can "I know one of the managers at Value me it up." but I need someone to Our asked me to go with her and I I didn't have '!:!ln,,nhi ...... better to do and it me out of to decorate the lounge. As she drove us in I didn't know much about her. way. Inside the store it was a zoo, so it took and I wheeled a hand cart stacked with our beer outside. HONK! In the narrow street next to Value a crowded bus was blocked. car. The driver down from the bus. "Nuts!" He car and shook his head. "Never a cop around when you need one." The in the bus grew strolled up to the driver. "What's ,.,..,,., ....,.. . ,," "Some idiot--" the man at the Chevette. be horse- have no brains at all... Say, I nodded. "Yeah. Some wonder .... I've a too. Lot like this one. You know--they only make a few different mine fits. If it does, I could move it out of your way." The driver beamed. it, would miss?" then over to the driver's side and opened the she looked back at the bus. "Well--here goes." door. Holding the She moved behind the wheel and exhaust belched from the Chevette's to life. tailpipe as the car The passengers cheered. around the comer and stopped. The drivers waved as the bus drove by and one gray- haired woman leaned out her window and "God bless you, young lady." Amy waved back. When the bus was out of sight, I rolled the hand loaded the beer and got in. cart to the still-running "You're a hero." She laughed. Instead of moaning and groaning about some inconsiderate who them for a few minutes, they'll be able to tell everyone about their luck." She eased the Chevette into traffic and gave me a big smile. "You know, sometimes the a hero and a bum is the point of view." And sometimes the difference between cute and beautiful is the of view. --REDGE MAHAFFEY Education Student A magazine arises limits of their skills to deterfrom two sources: the mine the quality of a poem persons who contribute and distinguishing good their writing and artwork, from bad. They and those whose task it is n.::ll!:llni"'011 successfully I to organize contributions the standard of into a cohesive whole and you can. fair to submitto present it to the com muI have also been im- ted and that of putting forth nity. the work of my a They The Collegian has and having been graced by vitality in u'"'"rLrir•,..with about the both these sources. I have those material the magazine rebeen continually impressed times when we were under armed with written at one comments and strong opinby the originality and vari- stress and ety of the contributions the ions which were tempered '"'"'"'; ... ..,,;..,.,.,of magazine has received. It discussions and is truly heartening to see the scr10011-vd~:::1r often heated debates. I how active and creative our worked and intelli- have the ·deepest respect College Community can be. gently to build a maioai:ine for my fellow staff-memTo soften the effect of from, an a bers, and have yet to work my partner Ange's sting box of disks, and an elec- with a better group of earlier in the issue, let me tric waxer. I can say that each contribution that the conditions Mlinko deserves was read with interest have worked under were credit for making The Co/the staff. Some of the horrendous not more lively and prohave fessional. She imposed pieces we did not publish had an struck us with their honhigh standards for writers esty, others touched us board, have attended as an editor, and provided because we empathized meetings at unreasonable pieces worthy of being with their themes. These hours to ensure that most imitated as a writer. Her were not grounds for publi- members could attend eye for quality balanced the cation, however. We (after seminar on Monday fondness for sentimental strived to treat each piece and Thursday nights? Don't which other memsubmitted fairly and hon- ask.). Things were hectic bers of the staff have. estly. at times. They bore with The magazine was Being honest meant patience the stress of being fortunate to have Dawn that we could not publish part of a club with no estab- Beltz, a graduate institute some of them. It would lished structure or method, student, on its staff. In have been flattery to have forming a structure and addition to being eminently done so. Every piece sent devising a method as sane, reasonable, and back was accompanied went along. patient, Dawn has deterred with an invitation (someMeetings were strenu- us from "Johnny-vision". ~imes tacit) for another, ous. Staff members set Her perspective is not improved contribution. themselves earnestly to the clouded the prejudices Every sting was meant not task of judging contribuSt. John's students pick up to insult, but to inspire the tions, beyond the as undergraduates. She �22 has helped us to be more objective -- not so wary of something which does not begin, "This essay will be divided into three parts ... ". The magazine has also benefitted from the contributions of other graduate institute students. Their styles are distinct from that of the undergraduate students, and their writing is often more mature than ours. I hope that they will continue to be as active in The Collegian next year as they were this year. It was disappointing to lose Vanessa Stratton to the Yearbook this spring. She exudes efficiency and clear thought. We have missed her soft-spoken presence and hope that she will return to the magazine in the upcoming year in some fashion. Molly Hinshaw and George Dolan deserve thanks for being responsible, dependable staff members, for always being ready to do what was needed. It's a shame that the magazine will be losing them in the upcoming year. It is also a shame that the magazine will be losing Kelly Rock -- we haven't seen much of her this spring, but her enthusiasm and activityinthefall helped set the tone for the rest of the year. Hopefully she'll return from Santa Fe in a couple of semesters and continue to work for The Collegian. Thanks also to Scott Saxman, who left early in the year, and to Jeff Acker, Deirdre Crosse, Carmen Denk, and Nathan Humphrey, who have just begun and have yetto show what they can do. DianneCowanwilledit The Collegian during the 1991-1992 school year. During the short time she has been a member of the staff, Dianne has been reasonable in meetings and competent in production. Robby Nease will assist Dianne as editor. Robby has been a dedicated member of the staff since the magazine's revival in December, 1989. He is familiar with most aspects of production and has been present during all developments in staff struc- ture and the make-up of the magazine. He has solicited the membership of many valuable staff members, as well as soliciting some works of writing. Some readers may have reservations about the choice that has been made regarding Robby. Three answers can be made to any reservations. 1) The Collegian strives to achieve fairness in decisions made with regard to material submitted and to the way it treats people associated with the magazine. Robby has earned, through his dedication to the magazine and his genuine efforts toward self-improvement, the chance to edit, despite misgivings some of us might have. 2) Until he has shown himself to be unequivocally competent, Robby's editorship is contingent on his success. 3) As an upcoming senior said to me, "He's not going to restart the Spanish-American War as editor of The Collegian." --TEQUILA BROOKS, Editor '90 -'91 Special thanks to Mr. Kevin Dungey for his guidance. The publishing policy of The Collegian is to treat all writers or artists and the pieces they submit with respect. It seeks to be an outlet for the intellectual and creative life of the community. Whether published or not, all material is welcome for review -- from students, staff, alumni and friends of St. John's. No revision will be adopted without the inform and consent of the writer. Responds is invited to any of the views expressed within these pages. Please address correspondence and criticism to Box 391 Campus Mall. NEXT DEADLINE: To be announced at the beginning of next semester. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Collegian Description An account of the resource The Collegian began as a student newspaper; became a college community literary publication in 1952 and continued until 1969; became a student newspaper again in 1969; discontinued publication from 1980 until 1989 when it again became a student literary publication.<br /><br />Click on <a title="The Collegian" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=26">Items in The Collegian Collection</a> to view and sort all items in the collection. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Page numeration Number of pages in the original item. 24 pages Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data paper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context The Collegian 10 May 1991 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1991-05-10 Title A name given to the resource The Collegian, May 10, 1991 Description An account of the resource Vol. II, Issue 7 of The Collegian. Published on May 10, 1991. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Brooks, Tequila (Editor) Mlinko, Ange (Editor) Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this publication. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource pdf Student publication https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/627b71abb29f71e913513b3b04f21aae.pdf ec77c9a39ed243e8d3b67a84f7ff03fa PDF Text Text �Yours Noelle AGI '82 (301) 267-876 AND 0U1 OF PHIN T BOOKS STREET IS. MARYLAND 2 401 THE GORDONS JEFF PAULA �a chain. them down ended in a as a man ran to the trailers to consult. two p.m., five men were the on another with lots near misses with window panes on down. a crane, so the roof and belltower remain intact. As for ...""' ,..,..,.....,11-....,.. ,....t.,......... tion company has been continued cance observed Luther tial Americans with ferent. due 10 �268-1 5 �These are: sounds like to notice. Pneumonia, as far as diseases go, isn't all that bad. It's not like the SVJnp1to1ms ._.,._ ......................... to retire to my house to see cable 1V movies we could catch at the same time. For those who don't know kitchen. over. by Aaron Finkelstein '92 A vacation is os·ter1silt>ly in mind. ten... I can relax ~n,ut11mP here at Thinktank Llberos ex the of beast can be so �world. "I said wake ''Lookatwhat I ..v ................. i I housemate which is as soon as th:lt int1en1al countdown of bears, wolves and kin reaches zero. Mortal fear �leaders who were violence and talk must agree to allow members of the cial communist-backed trade u.u.Jtv.u..:>. Bush's imimg;ur.11 a~dd1ress. rrLenltinlg tion in the minute was his mentor and former boss Ronald .[\.l;..~J:.•"'..... Bush thanked former President ...........~i-.-A& ''on behalf of our nation ... for the Sources: The WtisJ.Jinipt,on and National Public r ------------~ Sakharov to run as a candidate in the Soviet Union's ParliamenElections. FRESH BAKED COOKIES Cl\.PPUCCJ:..;o -- L'vl.PORTED riots were the such outbursts in Miami in the past 11 years. remove candidate's names lot as see fit. The scheduled to be in T E.'\S I The West Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin elections the dents of the West Bank and Gaza Rabin also said he would consider Palestinian L-----------·- �Professional lJ1 PRINCE CE.OR(,!: C, TR!:.ET ANNAP'()l I'.:> ~ARYl AND 21401 MUNDAY THRl ')ATUR[JA'r iO The next DC me~et1m2 31at7:00 P.M. in conversation encourage any and all students to this The Student Com· 1,, .., . , , , . , , -Munir Hussein '90 �The gathering convened at 7:00 pm were in attendance. Conversation Tuesday, January 17. Those listed It was enacted President Munir Hussein, Sandro Battaglia for position found and ultimately hired, Reality. Mr. Hussein 4. Paul Speckand and to invite --More funds for 7. And so goes. The Conversation Room. Respectfully sulbrn11tt1eC1, 31 at 7:00 pm in the will leave the Chase Stone Lot mc1rrnmg at 9:00 a.m. and There will '"'1 ·m.n.nl 1 ..,"" schedule carry afternoon. Hours: Mon.-Thurs. Fri. Sat. out 8:00am-3:00pm _ _J �F'orum is off Semester with a by a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute. His will be en"Political The Role of RelimDn in Politics." Cato Institute is a WaLShinj2~011based think tank. Its pr~esi4::te11t Edward H. Pilnerican '-<'nt-P ••...,,.,..,.,"" Institute on its conservative on national .,.,,,..~,,~-...,, sues and with the liberal stand Institute since 1984. Prior ._,u•--'-A•"-J. Assistant to President Reagan UeveJloc~m<~nt and Editor of of the Great Hall. Be as5mr,ed, """""',....,1-h• should look much as except for the second staircase will cut room 24. In will look iar for the .. ,,,._ .... ,u..... ui,,,.....,..,...,,,,. L;o1111mlitt1ee, 1 ""'"' Answers. �the same end. not seem to be .,. .,..,. . m,....1oreaes1[maus not to worry tion. Rather he is about what we have in the past. "Concentrate on the future" to be his main and the of the 1110 He makes a few judicious marries and has i',,.,.,__ p·vp1-vt1,1n10 becomes so much better than it was in his first life. sudon a late fall in he has arnotrier massive heart attack. He looks COJOU:nt,edJly at this nP·'<llr'<:unrlrl seico:nct time--and wakes up • 1 aoclaimed. duo sometimes like a although at times the 'cello was almost lost in the I left the concert more in love with once. can spare the time from find this and �su1oe:rs11tck cassettes such as and it contains much more fi. to do. FOOTNOTE: The derivation of this name is some· pr,001e1na1nc. It is related to but without context or �165 Anna 269-6737 1-301-269-5665 Md. �rendered �-The Assistant Deans Address: Richardson 4003 50th Ave �Member PIM Founded in 1980, The Gadfly is an independent student review published weekly and distributed free to over 550 students and faculty of the Annapolis campus as well as the offices at the St. John's Santa Fe campus, tutors emeriti and members of the board of visitors and governors. Tax deductible contributions may be given to The Gadfly by making checks payable to St. John's College paper. Send checks to The Gadfly. For display advertisement prices and information, call the business manager at 263-2371 ext. 320. Yearly subscription available for $28.10. Deadline: 5 p.m. Friday. AU submissions should be typed and signed. Opinions expressed are the responsibility of the author. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>The Gadfly</em> Description An account of the resource Founded in 1980, <em>The </em><em>Gadfly</em> is a weekly student publication distributed to over 600 students, faculty, and staff of the Annapolis campus.<br /><br />Click on <strong><a title="The Gadfly" href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=16&amp;sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&amp;sort_dir=d">Items in the <em>The Gadfly</em> Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context thegadfly Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Page numeration Number of pages in the original item. 16 pages Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data paper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Brooks, Tequila (Temporary Editor) Title A name given to the resource The Gadfly, Vol X Issue 12 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1989-01-24 Description An account of the resource Volume X, Issue 12 of The Gadfly. Published January 24, 1989. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Vol. 10 #12 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this publication. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource pdf Gadfly Student publication https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/9e0a014bfe0aa9ff53d2ce17f8d97aea.pdf d419c3d3498c8eb3cf23c0cac549dbeb PDF Text Text �Fri. Sat. 131 PRINCE GEORGE S TRU'.T ANNAPOLIS AND 21401 MONDAY THRU SATURDAY lO AM 7 PM 8:00am-3:00pm �1989 Covitz '91 The President pn~su:texlt who walked much of ina.ugur~~tioin and talked of AIJne1ncan '-''-'.u .............. ended senior who had donated small amounts to his and hundreds and even thousands without their consent. LaRouche also similar and awaits trial in Boston. ~a'rm~~ and Loan institutions. The Presihe would like his on::-re'.peau~a "no new taxes" to last the entire four years of his term. response to the aueg:at11on the ......,.,,....,. "'"'".l his on !".l'-"·u·'"JLAY Asked if he tno1ugJlt over, Bush wanted to avoid terms such as ''Cold War" if he could. He said he would to focus on the many advances that have taken the U.S. and the Soviets The President also are still un.ce:rtamties and that we should cautious when with the Soviets. In a related Iran-Contra accordto their own confessions and court beat Tambo unconscious and left him tied to a tree Vorster resumed the AU,;AA~A- and forced four ""...,,...,..,,.,.,.,.,,,,.., to take in the oeattnl!. 1 widow a month for five years. Leonard was fined Such cases are a01oa1~en.uv Grave concern could result from Mandela's release was cited as the reason for the continued in the leader's pn)m1sea lease. This pru~t siurnm<:!r rr:tan~ea In yet another related Helen a veteran member of South African for the im,:,u;tuian, to the establishment." was convicted of mail fraud for his involvement in a scheme that would take the credit card numbers of peoo1e. 1 Sources: The w~uJ.'-JiriiJ!t·on Post and National Public Radio Fresh Breads Croissants & Sandwiches 18 Market Street Annapolis, Maryland 21401 268-11i5 ��Nease '92 Trek fans out there may or there are such sound but are handled dillerentlv- -and one is a consequent of the other. These two stand somewhat outside the mainstream that is a Demons, M. reactions are exaround when for the the 6 �Member PIM H HS on our .. �groups ���se4coinaqu.anter~~soon tense Amazons when Ms. Wiseheart and Ms. Hamm came dose to Without these lcPv n,ttP·n~ivP the Amazons knew that the ahead. Both teams needed a break from the excitement when halftime rolled the Amazons needed it to cool clean and the fired up. second half and V-Ball. summarized score did not reflect intem;;ity and well-matched ef· fort teams.'' Refs Charlie Beckman and Steve Uhl should be for their best �students with excellent academic records and demonstrated interest and careers in mathematics the natural sciences. the Foundation will award 53 to students who will be crnlle!il:t:: ..........,.....,,..., and 53 ~c1101ars:rui>s students who will be 1989-90 aca.aeiruc -N1wur Hussein handcrafted 15% off with student �� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>The Gadfly</em> Description An account of the resource Founded in 1980, <em>The </em><em>Gadfly</em> is a weekly student publication distributed to over 600 students, faculty, and staff of the Annapolis campus.<br /><br />Click on <strong><a title="The Gadfly" href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=16&amp;sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&amp;sort_dir=d">Items in the <em>The Gadfly</em> Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context thegadfly Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Page numeration Number of pages in the original item. 12 pages Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data paper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Brooks, Tequila (Temporary Editor) Calabrese, Carin (Temporary Editor) Title A name given to the resource The Gadfly, Vol X Issue 13 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1989-01-31 Description An account of the resource Volume X, Issue 13 of The Gadfly. Published January 31, 1989. (Handwriten note indicating correct issue number.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Vol. 10 #13 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this publication. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource pdf Gadfly Student publication https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/f7fe94bafdd022d99723e9c0c00c622a.mp3 1f4ce3433a83047357c2b6e828b8d191 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Description An account of the resource Items in this collection are part of a series of lectures given every year at St. John's College. During the Fall and Spring semesters, lectures are given on Friday nights. Items include audio and video recordings and typescripts.<br /><br />For more information, and a schedule of upcoming lectures, please visit the <strong><a href="http://www.sjc.edu/programs-and-events/annapolis/formal-lecture-series/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">St. John's College website</a></strong>.  <br /><br />Click on <strong><a title="Formal Lecture Series" href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=5&amp;sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&amp;sort_dir=d">Items in the St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.<br /><br />A growing number of lecture recordings are also available on the St. John's College (Annapolis) Lectures podcast. Visit <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/st-johns-college-annapolis-lectures/id1695157772">Apple Podcasts</a> or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6GDsIRqC8SWZ28AY72BsYM?si=f2ecfa9e247a456f" title="Spotify">Spotify</a> to listen and subscribe. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Title A name given to the resource St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context formallectureseriesannapolis Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data CD Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 01:05:41 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Brubaker, Lauren Title A name given to the resource Wealth, Virtue and Corruption: Adam Smith's Moral Philosophy Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2011-01-21 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource mp3 Description An account of the resource Audio recording of a lecture delivered on January 21, 2011, by Lauren Brubaker as part of the Formal Lecture Series. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource A signed permission form has been received stating, "I herby grant St. John's College permission: To make an audio recording of my lecture, and retain copies for circulation and archival preservation in the St. John's College Greenfield Library. To make a typescript copy of my lecture available for circulation and archival preservation in the St. John's College Greenfield Library. To make an audio recording of my lecture available on the St. John's College web site." Type The nature or genre of the resource sound Subject The topic of the resource Smith, Adam, 1723-1790. Theory of moral sentiments. Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context LEC_Brubaker_Lauren_2011-01-21 Friday night lecture https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/8dd97f52e92471718997cb56eef3ebf6.mp3 59d7a70b4ca3b9a665f1d52a7486f3d0 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource St. John's College Lecture Recordings—Santa Fe Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Meem Library Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Santa Fe, NM Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data CD Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 01:08:09 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Adam Smith's politics : pragmatist or ideologue Description An account of the resource Audio recording of a lecture given on April 29, 2016 by Lauren Brubaker as part of the Dean's Lecture and Concert Series. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Brubaker, Lauren Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Santa Fe, NM Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-04-29 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Meem Library has been given permission to make this item available online. Type The nature or genre of the resource sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource mp3 Subject The topic of the resource Smith, Adam, 1723-1790. Language A language of the resource English Friday night lecture https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/a4a262c069b1dcb36e38d68b7738b392.pdf 46a205e93a354bff8894dbf099e42a66 PDF Text Text Colloquy FALL 2024 On Being �Colloquy is an academic journal and biannual publication of the Graduate Student Council and St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland featuring the works of students, tutors, and alumni of the St. John’s Graduate Institute. The journal is free of charge. The views and opinions expressed in the journal do not necessarily reflect those St. John’s College, the Graduate Council, or Colloquy. Printed with Cardo font Cover: Vanity with Two Mirrors - Amelia Taylor Wolfe oil on canvas panel 8x8” �Colloquy Issue 15 Fall 2024 On Being Editor-in-Chief: Bucca Editorial Board: Lola Bondar Stephen Borsum Cynthia Crane Gus Kraus Stafford Wood Assistant Director for Graduate Student Services: Kashya Boretsky Associate Dean for Graduate Programs: Brendan Boyle Colloquy, The Graduate Institute at St. John’s College, 60 College Avenue, Annapolis, Maryland, 21401 colloquy@sjc.edu �Letter from the Editor Dear Graduate Institute Community, This is the third themed issue of Colloquy. Last fall we had ‘on creation’ then ‘on character’ in the spring. For this semester, ‘on being’ was a popular choice with our editorial board, though it was not without its contenders. I was drawn to ‘on wonder’ and ‘on passion’ as well, topics that might inspire students all kinds of beautiful and dramatic pieces. However, I wanted to keep this semester’s theme broad. Almost anything can tie back to the idea of ‘being.’ Within these pages are oil paintings, still-lifes which capture the essence of everyday objects. There’s a meditative quality about them, how one can study a subject and find the lines to represent it, not as it is precisely but through a new created form of representation. It’s the same with the lithographs and prints, but with people as subjects there seem to be many untold stories that might begin to reveal themselves in a single pose or expression. While theme can inspire creators, it can also dissuade them if they don’t see a strong enough connection to their work. Like many things, the proper balance must be found. Theme is worth having because it unites pieces and can encourage readers to find connections between pieces in a way that grants insights, those Aha! moments when these links are discovered. Within these pages, there are essays that address education, the formation of a student and what it means to be human. There are philosophical quandaries exploring the idea of being itself. There are poems which deal with the nature of time, and how it changes us. Throughout the journal, there are numerous inquiries and all on some level related to being. Finally, there is the journal as an image and physical object. There is the balance between the ink on the pages forming words and ideas, and the blank spaces, the non-being. It is in some of these spaces, I’ve found small homes for some of my own sketches and drawings, occasionally inspired by the poetry of the page. For Chaucer’s prologue, I took inspiration from the Ellesmere manuscript. Others are based on the world around me and my own imagination. I hope they, along with the rest of the work here, bring you delight. Sincerely, Bucca �Contents Poetry & Musings Wednesday Morning Meditation the First Gerund is Easier than Noun Old Willow Man I am Part of All That I have Been Orange Sunset & Olive Pits Champion Challenger Achelous The Fox I Wish I Was Obituary Storage 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 16 18 20 22 23 Rachel Brown Aaron Knight Stafford Wood Stephen Borsum Laszlo J. Boesze George Kalandadze Michael Vigil Travis Kyker Travis Kyker Tova Gannana George Kalandadze James Paul Rogers 25 26 28 Cynthia Crane Deana Moss Stephen Borsum Short Stories & Translations Canterbury Tales The House on Fargo Street Being in Lisbon Essays Emile at the Place for Learning 31 Image, Imaginary, and Ignorance of Real Being 45 Root to Rise 51 Charles Edward Chapin Gus Kraus Haley Prickett Interviews & Toasts Meet Tutor, Mr André Barbera 60 Becoming a Reader 62 Like Alyosha 64 What’s a Eureka Moment you had in class? 65 Shirely Quo Charmaine D’Souza Emily Price �Poetry & Musings Dog Patch, 17x21” lithograph - Jesse Wood 6 �Wednesday Morning Rachel Brown A toadstool White as a new-turned leaf Sprang up last night While I was sleeping. This empty space Will always be the hallowed place Where a toadstool Fleeting as a dream Fresh as a stream of sunlight Alighted one morning to Grace for a day The ground below my windowsill That never felt empty before And will ever feel full Of a fragile strength A slim silent speaking presence Raised from darkness into life Overnight An extravagant, lavish Testament to joy Like wine pouring over from Jugs of water Pouring and pooling in Thirsty goblets. A toadstool Iike an inverted goblet Poured out for me Is new and newly baptized Clean by sparkling morning dewdrops into An innocence of grief. ! 7 �Meditation the First Aaron Knight Big D beside the fire—anyone else here from 2024? After all, even more? This more here more there more. Right now nothing really matters, literally anymore. Doesn’t it seem painfully unreal? Like snow? Like a snowball? Just under the ear in front of the pineal gland say? One’s rightful place among bugs and dust and supernovas – Inventories of perception, liquid in the vessel. Celebrating the cosmos. Expand, fit myself inside A grotesquely offensive form – I won’t stand out as much if All continuous or infinitely discrete Horns and graffiti and rain (so much rain), can claim membership too. (I really couldn’t care less – just take the spotlight off me.) So I’m awake? Not so sure about that. Prove it. Bundled up for winter I fear you’ll see a black hole on your starboard, (A compulsion to prevail and monetize is a favorite). Shame and spite more than thought, prove existence, I would say, if asked by a Deceiving God. That my feeling insides, Speechless, and that howling sound we hear in our ears – You told me you heard it too – quieter silence but still loud. (The eternal alarm of intrusion never goes silent?) But whenever I say it never will – Fools rush in and all that, Commands and directives, metaphysics and epistemology And ontological limits of signifiers – Little Daddy Roughbones tonight folks, Straight to bed when the sun goes down – Let me tell you that I never signed up for this here thing – I just know that I woke up at age 4 and realized I wasn’t 3 anymore – Still my most profound insight. 8 �Gerund is Easier than Noun Stafford Wood Speaking is easier than being a speaker Leading is easier than being a leader Fighting is easier than being a fighter Writing is easier than being a writer Teaching is easier than being a teacher Preaching is easier than being a preacher Loving is easier than being a lover Mothering is easier than being a mother 9 �Old Willow Man Stephen Borsum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�I am Part of All That I have Been Laszlo J. Boesze “I am a part of all that I have seen...” Tennyson, “Ulysses” In different carriers, I exist in parts Coiled in a mysterious way That joined grow in a primordial ooze, Take shape and find limbs and senses anew And screaming face the world again: Alive, a whole, and brand-new I That is as old as from whence I sprang. Wanted or not, I have sprung forth, Demand my right to be, And be cared for, Till I can fend alone And have parts of me form a new I. And when I leave Blood-soaked or shriveled up What trace of me do I leave behind? Am I a monumental tomb Remembered better that I Who left my bones in a sea of peat? Did either me an impact make In a world I cannot comprehend? Still, I am a part of all That was, that is, will be, In ways I shall never know. 11 �Orange Sunset & Olive Pits George Kalandadze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�Corrales II, 16x22.5” lithograph - Jesse Wood 13 �Champion Challenger Michael Vigil Work through challenges like any man would. — By crying out to father; Father, forgive me, for I know not what I have done. — Seeking mother’s touch. To Mother; caress my body in Myrrh, once laid to rest. — In a world of devotion, imitation, idolization, instant gratification. Seek a hand of grace, not one of cruelty, seek the place where a babes cry, meets mother’s coo. — Present is a place, void of spirit, a babes cry, rings out; to no echo. To no warm embrace. Dirty, soiled, bad-tempered; mother’s ears are deaf, to this babies falsetto. No hand of grace, no mother’s touch, only torment; only whimpers. — Tears tread down narrow, undulating, swollen eyes; cradled in hollowed bones. Down, down, tapping, dripping, dropping. Drooling onto dirty soiled frame, hollowed by hatred, hallowed by shame. — Tread, tread, tread. Blop, drip, drop, tear, tear, tears. Travel the tunnel of birth. A crap shoot of probabilities. Popped from the space between urine and feces. Plopped upon the crap-table, arrival, unhappy, a-being, unexpected. — Confront the Law, not natural law; the law of averages. To a serpents hiss, affronted by a woman’s whis-per, “you are departing unhappy.” Heel bruised, fork tongue, slithers off, affronted. — Making out, then making off. Flicking classic movie poster post cards, from index finger. Flicking an ear, to disturb a friend. “Dare I disturb the universe?” — Keeping time, not natural time, whistling “Giant steps” like a type of syncopated jazz aves, barreling Geary ave. Gunning for the coast, rebelling, Jim and Buzz, screaming, “let’s see who chicken!” 14 �— The buzz fades, sipping whiskey, from a worn leather, stuffed in the side pocket, tucked next to a Faulkner, novel. Not understanding my worries, limping, strolling Geary ave. — Trimming the top off parking meters, I tread, the sulfur surface, and use the change to tear out pages from newspaper dispensers. Disturbed by the mendacity. Perturbed to trepidation. Tear drops, soak, wear through the pulp, diffusing the ink, exposing the truth. — I tread through life on hot summer pavement, worn down, like a used tire. Rotating round the circumference, axle grease spews out the hubcap like a boxer spitting a tooth. — Racing down Columbus Ave., wailing “a love supreme”, speeding past a statue of St. Francis of Assisi. Touched by stigmata, and a revelation; a truth, I sped through life, heaven seeking, hell bound. — Tires bald, worn down, the psst of a nail wound, puncturing through a thin layer. No more rotations, to a force greater than my own, strewn upon the cold pavement, as my breath hisses into the aether. — Father forgives me, for he knows what I have done. — Crack of polyurethane window pane, under foot, Fanny, a flower, sprung on the sidewalk adjoint the Café Trieste. An on looker, in Illumination (as dew turns to mist) says, “The pane broke so well.” — Mother caress my body in Frankincense, once laid to rest. — Amen 15 �Achelous Travis Kyker The next time, We walked our little way Stumbling up like vagrants Seeking the coals of comfort, Prodding burnished ashes, Listening into the dark And shedding the rags of day. I doubted then, But learned how to cast it away. Eyes, uplifted from afar, Made us fervently glad Unwitting worshipers Beneath a cathedral of stars. But at last, Young and weeping The road tore past our feet. Backwards, rushing wrong, Into a holy defeat, A secret home, a fathom-call; Up to the mouth of the father Whose hungry love makes children of us all. 16 Yoked - Jesse Wood 14.5x10.5 intaglio print with monotype and aquatint The first time we were there, That river. Water going by like silence, like silver, God’s diamonds— Mystery too beautiful to name. All the precious moments Dissolved there Tumbled in dark time, Churning to dust Before our eyes. You took my hand And we knelt with the faith of fools Praying hopelessly. �17 �The Fox Travis Kyker Red fox rampant, eyes aloft— Autumn is good for him. A swath of crimson samite all-encompassed, lost Amid the sea of swirling bronze admits No gaze of lesser beasts Who garrison the land with fearful watch. Look! whisper of life— The careless message races to its lord. Spires of black ears prick up As paws splash down, The dew-drop scatters Patterning a crystal ring about His gallery of shining claws. They sink into the earth to launch A swift assault And hammer to the ground A speeding thunder, secret fire, Racing through sun-spears That dash across his pelt like beams Of luminary shadow. �Is this the fox thou lovest? Yes— His splendor’s course to all men’s hearts doth run. For he is as a law unto himself, The law of will and hunger so endowed That need, for him, and want together Always bleed as one, And rightful prize is always all that simple might beclaims. But here he reads the scroll of nature’s heart— A subtle work which guards its secrets well— And fancies it admissible to deem The plainest and true meaning as the same, As a great king cruel and strong beholds The wonder of his crown And plunges without mercy on his liege. For if war fathers all, and fire Penetrates the very soul of life, The bíos and the bow are truly one, And nature’s song enchants itself Upon a flash of white not long unstained, Descending in a vicious revelation. And now as red flows into red, Behold thy saving truth: The many into one resolved Upon a tangle of dead roots, A new whole self-engulfed emergent Writhing on the forest floor— Becoming is itself undone in this Vermilion ouroboros. 19 �I Wish I Was Tova Gannana F0.!(.*!%.)-!0)/4+!/0.!%'(.*!%.)-!5#)44.4K!F0.!.#.:)/'-!0)4!6)-.!63#64!)*$! 63//'*4!/0)/!Q)(+!*'!'*.!%)*/4!/'!5./!'*K!>4/-'*)3/4!5./!'P!'*!/0.!-&50/!R''-K! F0-..! #)(94! /'! )! -''(+! )! 5''$! 4/)-/K! 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(.*+!%)-(!&*!/0.&-!0'34.4+!%)-(!/0&*=&*5!'1!49-&*5K! 20 �Lady of the Canyon, 11x15” monotype - Jesse Wood 21 �Obituary George Kalandadze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�Storage James Paul Rogers I love the light of southern sunsets as It lathes through the boughs of the red-oak trees, Casting bars of bright and dark on the fields. Such sights will ever mean home to me: the Gentle hills rolling down toward the river Crowned with maple and hickory; local Lanes all swathed in shadow from the forests’ Graceful eaves; quiet river ripples lit At evening from the west while waterbirds Take silent flight, calling softly, toward the East. Though I have seen a thousand thousand Evening skies blushing lovely in the fall, Each one retains the power to enchant, Reminding me to be glad to be, to Live yet one more day where fleeting beauties Lie in wait for those with eyes to find them. 23 �Short Stories & Translations Clay Skull and Wineglass - Amelia Taylor Wolfe oil on canvas panel 9x12” 24 �Canterbury Tales First 18 lines of Geoffrey Chaucer’s General Prologue Cynthia Crane When April with sweet rain has sought Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote And pierced the roots of March’s drought, The droghte of March hath perced to the roote, And bathed every vine in that liquor And bathed every veyne in swich licour That sires by nature every flower, Of which vertu engendred is the flour; When Zephyr with his breath ‘s beguiled Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth On farmer’s land and in heather wild Inspired hath in every holt and heeth First fragile crops, and the young sun The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne Half through Aries’ course has run Hath in the Ram his half cours yronne, And little birds make melodies, And smale foweles maken melodye, And sleep all night with open eyes — That slepen al the nyght with open ye So Nature pricks up people’s courage (So priketh hem Nature in hir corages), Til they long to go on pilgrimage, Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages, And those who pray seek routes unclear And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes, to distant shrines known far and near; To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes; And especially from every county’s side And specially from every shires ende Of England to Canterbury they ride, Of Engelond to Caunterbury they wende, Seeking the sainted martyr’s way The hooly blisful martir for to seke, That helped when they were sick with plague. That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke. 5 10 15 �The House on Fargo Street Deana Moss I take a deep breath. I stand under the overgrown tree, facing the long, narrow driveway that feels like a forgotten path stretching into eternity. The gravel crunches underfoot, but the sound is swallowed by the eerie stillness. The air carries a weight, thick and oppressive, pressing down with each step. I sighed, why did we even live here? The house stands hidden, shrouded in the shadow of another, as if deliberately concealing itself from the world. It was the result of necessary downsizing. A rental home that was never meant to be permanent, simply a bridge between what we thought would be our forever home to what ended up becoming my sole inheritance. As I move closer, I see flickers in the periphery of my vision—familiar, yet out of place. There, darting along the driveway, is the ghost of my younger self, her laughter silent but vivid, her bike wheels spinning in an endless loop. A soft smile etched itself across my face. I saved up every penny I had to my name to buy that purple bike with tinsel hanging off the handlebars. The image vanished as quickly as it appeared, leaving behind an ache so sharp it feels real. The house looms ahead, unassuming yet suffused with an unshakable melancholy. Its facade seems to sag under the weight of time, and the windows, dark and opaque, offer no reflection, only void. As I approach, a wave of sadness crashes over me, cold and suffocating, as though the house itself mourns its place in my story. Each step toward the door feels heavier, the pull of the past growing stronger, and I can’t tell if it’s the house or my own heart that’s whispering, Why have you come back? Tears welled in my eyes, as if I was about to sneeze–but the sneeze never came. The house stands like a shadow of its former self, 26 its once light, inviting exterior now cloaked in a somber, weathered brown. The vibrant energy that once filled its halls has faded, replaced by an unsettling quiet. The carpet that once cushioned playful steps is gone, stripped away and replaced by dark, polished hardwood that seems to groan underfoot as if mourning the past. The space where laughter used to echo—my childhood sanctuary of games and imagination—has been transformed into a cold, sterile dining area. The table in the center is tiny compared to the hardwood table that belonged to a young pilot. The walls are devoid of the warmth one would expect to go along with the sentiments that the words on the wall seem to be expressing. The chairs are stiff, their angles too precise, and the air feels heavy, as though joy itself has been exiled from the room. Shadows pool in the corners, stretching longer than they should, as if the house itself resents its transformation. It feels as though the walls are watching, bearing witness to the life that was once here, now stifled by this chilling refinement. This is no longer a home; it is a memory gone hollow. But, as I look around, I remember, this was never my home. This was temporary. This house was a meaningless fling. It was a rental, it was never meant to be permanent–so why do I feel this way? It’s just a house. It’s just a house. It’s just–but why do I feel like this? The corridor leading to the master bedroom stretches ahead, narrow and claustrophobic, its walls pressing inward as though eager to trap me. The air feels thick, stale, as if the house itself is holding its breath. I reach the bedroom, but it is not the room I remember. �This was once a space I reluctantly shared, filled with the chaos of three lives jostling for room. Now, it feels eerily orderly and unfamiliar—its transformation erasing even the faintest echoes of what it once was. The sound of two young girls and their mother sharing a room have now been replaced by the rustle of trees in the backyard, scraping against the window. I turn toward the closet, the one place that had been mine, hoping to feel the solace I felt when I was a child. It was a windowless room. Spacious, even when it was filled with clothes and photo albums. Stepping inside, I am swallowed by its shadows. This was my sanctuary, a haven where I could be unapologetically myself. Here, I had felt invincible, untouchable by the rules and expectations that waited outside the door. I would look through all of my mother’s hidden treasures, this was the place I discovered my mother was the tooth fairy and Santa Clause. As I stand and look up to the high ceiling, the air is heavy, cloying, and the ceiling seems to close in. soot-streaked bricks bearing silent witness to all that was lost here. I collapse to my knees, the weight of the house pressing down as if it is alive, feeding off my despair. My sobs wrack my body, raw and unrelenting, as memories pour out unbidden. The Christmas I refused to help decorate—such a small act of defiance—looms large in my mind, a symbol of everything I pushed away, everything I let slip through my fingers. The sorrow washes over me like a tidal wave, drowning me in its cold embrace. What was once warm and alive has become hollow, corrupted by its own emptiness. It feels as though the house mourns too, though not for me. It mourns the spark of life it smothered until it was gone. Having no other being to consume, it consumed itself. As I kneel before the cold hearth, I feel something behind me. I turned; it was the breeze coming in through the door I left open. A tightness grips my chest, sharp and unyielding, each breath shallow and strained as if the air itself refuses to enter my lungs. My pulse pounds in my ears, louder and faster, drowning out every rational thought. My hands tremble, my palms slick with sweat, and the room feels impossibly small, spinning and tilting like a ship in a storm. My mind screams for escape, but my legs feel leaden, rooted to the floor. Finally, with a desperate lunge, I turn and push the door open. Cool air rushes in, and I stagger out, gasping as if I’ve been underwater for too long. My heart begins to slow, but the ache of the loss remains. I can’t stay in this house a moment longer. The walls seem to close in, each step down the corridor echoing louder, mocking my escape. I run, my breath ragged, my legs trembling as I race through the suffocating space. At last, I stumble into the living room and stop, my eyes drawn to the fireplace. Its 27 �Being in Lisbon Stephen Borsum The city is beautiful, but in some ways more so sleeping than when it’s awake. The port in my glass is sweet but bold, complemented by the slow burn of a rich cigarette. It was a short morning of strolling through a museum of antique arts, remnants of Portugal’s famous discoveries, but really they were just old paintings of Jesus and the martyrs, which the occasional piece of Chinese pottery interjected itself between. I searched the shops for nothing in particular, but seeking 28 something beyond another drink or another cup of espresso. Another drag from the cigarette, another sip of port. To my left is the sprawling mass of building-topped hills and rolling green spaces, colors fade together like an impressionist’s field of wildflowers. All of this is interrupted by the church renovation happening below, where workers in their hard hats operate a crane that occasionally obstructs my view of the city. Towards the river, some gaudy multi-story office build- �ing for a corporation breaks the otherwise inviting skyline, interestingly blocking my view of the massive statue of Jesus. The port finished, I meander through a district that I now realize is only a tourist trap, and isn’t to be taken as the true heart of Lisbon’s artist culture. That’s in the aged stone occasionally covered with graffiti. Or the street performers. Or the hand-placed stone sidewalks with black and white bricks interweaving into various shapes, sometimes purposeful but others chaotic. Perhaps the truest art of the city is the flowers still blooming in late-November, but I won’t ask the locals such a question. I don’t mean to render their city knowable like some blog post. What is least interesting is surface level. Like the Catholic references and churches on nearly every block. So many built on destroyed mosques. The return walk to my destination is all uphill, but thankfully this area of Lisbon is not so steep. Still, I don’t resist stopping by the pastelaria, the bakery across the street for another glass of port and a pastel de nata, when the desire to take a break comes over me. Each time I try the little custard tart I like it more, and even though it’s nearly the noon-hour, I see hungover Lisboans rising for breakfast at the cafes around. With some I can practice just enough Portuguese to not be an asshole, but quickly have to ask if we can switch to English as their own tongue flows so easily through them and immediately becomes ungraspable to my ears. I find myself enjoying this port more than the others, but I’ve only tried the red and for some reason won’t try the white. Ignorance I presume. Still, I finish my glass and strike another cigarette, the brand I found here is dangerously smooth. And continuing my walk I finally find what I was looking for without knowing. A simple shop, where a Japanese man watches YouTube while waiting for tourists to wander in. He’s selling sunglasses, and I desperately need a new pair. I return to the studio where we are planning to enjoy the evening. The proprietor greets me, and we discuss tattoos, his collection of them and my lack of one. We drink what seems to be the only beer people have a preference for in Lisbon, Super Bock, and talk about life in America and the animals in Montana, namely the great many of them that can kill you. The studio opens for the evening and artists suddenly pour in, the space awakens from contemplative to lively, letting bloom an energy in the room that I’ve already spent for the day walking the many streets. And I remember the warm sun and the port and cigarette from earlier in the day. 29 �Essays Precarious - Amelia Taylor Wolfe 12x16” oil on canvas panel 30 �Emile at the Place for Learning Rousseau and Oakeshott in College Campus Duet Charles Edward Chapin I. Orchestration The teenage education of “Emile” described by Jean-Jacque Rousseau in the work’s third book, and the college described in Michael Oakeshott’s “A Place of Learning” present an opportunity for exploring dissonance and harmony in these two approaches to young adult education. Will the Rousseauian mantra, “What good is that for?”1, doom Emile’s journey through the hypothetical halls of Oakeshott College, where faculty and students abjure “the use which may be made of the conclusions of their inquiries?”2 A student has been tutored to reject scholarship. The tutor of his youth, himself an eminent scholar, guided him instead to favor practical applications of his lessons, and to sustain his financial independence as a craftsman. Now eighteen years old and somewhere in twentieth century America, he decides to attend a secluded liberal arts college to pursue deeper meaning in life. How might his childhood tutor’s views interact with the pedagogical design of this campus, where, in favor of intellectually productive leisure, “instrumental arts” are distanced from “liberal learning?” To encourage this dialogue, I make a few choices. First, Emile has a disposition and maturity that matches this hypothetical college. Readers may quibble with this premise, arguing that Rousseau’s Emile would see higher learning as pointless.3 On the other hand, the character has a pensiveness that lends itself to honest inquiry, and perhaps his attraction to liberal arts is inevitable. In any case, let us give him a chance to go to college. Second, the Oakeshott faculty prefer dialectic pedagogy and are oriented toward the individual flourishing of students. Emile’s training in experimentation and self-led discovery will not, therefore, cause conflict in this setting. This choice allows us to focus more exclusively on the concept of utility in education, rather than pedagogical process. Finally, when Emile is faced with conflict between Rousseau and Oakeshott, he chooses a path that prioritizes interaction between them, rather than retreating to one side or the other. II. Melody Oakeshott College stands before him, an isolated, walled campus rimmed by mountains of green and blue. “Adventures in Human Self-Understanding,” (Oakeshott 15) 1 Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. “Emile: or On Education.” Translated by Allan Bloom. New York: Basic Books, 1979. p. 179 2 Oakeshott, Michael. “A Place of Learning.” In What Is History? and Other Essays, edited by Luke O’Sullivan, 1-34. Exeter: Imprint Academic, 2004. p. 22 3 Indeed, our reading focused exclusively on Book III, which takes place between Emile’s 12th th and 15 year. 31 �proclaim the banners on the lampposts. This motto of the college’s founder and namesake is what drew Emile here. He seeks adventure and wants to understand. The nearest town is two miles away through dense woods, and to preserve the intellectual purity of the college environment, students travel only on foot. Two miles through the woods is an easy navigation problem for Emile on a sunny day or a starry night, but he is not here to escape. He is Robinson Crusoe, marooned anew, on an island with uncharted possibilities. Earlier that day, he had sold his craftsman’s tools for pens and paper, then had saved the rest for books. The tutor and friend of his early teens, Mr. Rousseau, had never intended for him to choose this path, or indeed any path that involved so many books. He had been permitted to read, of course, and especially those books that provided inspiration for martialing the resources necessary to find his way in the world (Rousseau 184). But to study humanities at a small, secluded college? It would have seemed foolish to Mr. Rousseau. “It is by their palpable relation to his utility, his security, his preservation, and his well-being,” Mr. Rousseau had once advised, “that he ought to appraise all the bodies of nature and all the works of men. Thus, iron ought to be much more valuable in his eyes than gold, and glass than diamonds” (Rousseau 187). Emile can imagine how the people in the market would roll their eyes at the utility of prioritizing humanities and isolating oneself from the hic et nunc (“Here and now” Oakeshott 10-11), two of Oakeshott’s precepts. As he hears their voices in his mind’s ear, He zips his jacket against the 32 wind and pulls down his simple cap. He wonders now if Mr. Rousseau ever fully understood that he has chosen this path not in spite of his tutor but because of him; Mr. Rousseau’s seeds of worldly, practical knowledge had sprouted into a growing sense that these sorts of books were of greater use than he had previously been told. Emile had become accustomed to allowing objects and information to appear in front of him, without demanding answers from them. Now, at eighteen, his own life had presented itself as one of these objects of curiosity. He had studied it with his characteristic pensiveness and curiosity, but the essence of the thing, the meaning of life, had eluded him. Self-sufficiency and creative instrumentation had begun to seem like virtues, not meaning. They were a way to live a good life, a means to an end. But now, when he asks of life, “What good is that for,” (Rousseau 179) who is he asking? He lacked the instruments to form an answer. The search for these tools is what brings Emile to Oakeshott College. And what an adventure it could be! Mr. Rousseau and Mr. Oakeshott had this attitude in common. Both had described life as a process of exploration that gave depth to one’s existence. Mr. Rousseau may have preferred a more individualistic, hands-on approach and Mr. Oakeshott a more Socratic, theoretical one, but surely there is room at the Oakeshott seminar table for a student who likes to work with his hands? Besides, Emile’s love of testing things fit in well with the study of natural science, which was respected at Oakeshott. He under- �stands that too much science is frowned upon at the college, but Mr. Rousseau had shared this view: “Not to teach him the sciences but to give him the taste for loving them,” (Rousseau 172) he had prescribed. There was an apparent danger in going too far into one field and losing sight of the big picture. Even if Mr. Rousseau had made that argument based on utility, it was rooted in a respect for balance between natural science and other concepts. Oakeshott College would do the same. In fact, the Oakeshott curriculum prohibited students from concentrating their studies in natural science.4 Incidentally, Oakeshott College also prohibited students from being employed and being distracted by “the instrumental arts,” (Oakeshott 13) as marketable skills were called. Emile has an affinity for his craft, but he is willing to take a break from it to pursue life’s deeper meaning. Sacrificing his craft is not a rejection of his Rousseauian values but rather an embrace of them; he is making a trade. Mr. Rousseau might have argued that it was not worth what he was paying, since “it is by money that goods of various kinds become commensurable and can be compared,” (Rousseau 190) and since his time at Oakeshott would not produce more money. But Emile had decided that money was just a representation of value, and that understanding how to live a meaningful life simply had a higher personal value than practicing his trade for four years. Besides, study was a kind of work, and he knew how to find love in his work by doing it well and letting it speak for itself. He feels sometimes like two people: an aspiring philosopher, and an aspiring master craftsman. This is by his tutor’s design: “In all that he will see, in all that he will do, he will want to know everything; he will want to learn the reason for everything. From instrument to instrument he will want always to go back to the first; he will accept no assumption” (Rousseau 188-189). Well, Mr. Rousseau, he thinks, I am here to go back to the very first questions. Why am I here? Why are we here? He knows his former tutor and the founder of this college had their differences, but he thinks the foundations are similar enough to allow for an experience of great personal significance. He enters campus through a large gate in the wall. It shuts behind him with a definitive click. II. Countermelody Emile sits at the corner of his seminar table. “The Life of the Mind” is a required discussion group for all first-year students. Two months have passed since he last heard the click of the gate. The readings have been stimulating, but the wind is no longer at his back on his expedition. He stays engaged, but he sometimes wonders why his peers seem content to just talk. There is a term they keep using, “the conversation” (Oakeshott 16, 30, 34). It seems like an accepted end in itself, this conversation, a kind of proper noun without a clear delineation. He is not always sure whether he is 4 Oakeshott 22. Since I am building a hypothetical college on Oakeshott’s writing, I choose to imagine that the college has translated the spirit of his writing into academic policy. 33 �in “the” conversation or just “a” conversation. The ideas that come up in these discussions are wonderful. Yet whenever he tries to offer an opportunity to test them out after class, like the time he proposes a system for measuring “soul” as a ratio like health, his peers seem embarrassed and hesitant. Is this the limit of learning at Oakeshott? The students seem like cartographers who draw maps from descriptions but never travel, never measure the land with their eyes. The tutor, Ms. Vendredi, sits just to his right, at the end of the table. She reads from an essay by the founder of the college. “Oakeshott wrote that ‘Liberal learning is a difficult engagement’” (Oakeshott 30). She pauses. “‘It depends upon an understanding of itself which is always imperfect; even those who presided over its emergence hardly knew what they were doing. And it depends upon a self-confidence which is easily shaken and not least by continual self-examination’ (Oakeshott 30). So,” continues Ms. Vendredi, “What perplexes me is... What is it that we are learning in such a difficult way?” “Human self-understanding,” offers a fellow student at the end of the table, reminding everyone of the school motto. “It is inseparable from learning to participate in what is called a ‘culture’” (Oakeshott 16). She refers to the text by Oakeshott. Emile writes this down carefully. He finds satisfaction in the careful script of his hand and the even flow of ink from a well-designed pen. He thinks about his craftsman tools. It helps him feel valuable to make things that people pay him for, to re- 5 mind him that he can find his way through a problem with his own wits. His compensation has been a source of self-confidence. How are students compensated in their culture of learning? By grades? By affirmations at the seminar table? He is momentarily distracted, thinking of the instruments of the seminar. Pens, printed texts on paper, the table, the chairs, all invisible to his peers but designed by experts to be perfectly invisible to their users. A pair of glasses perches on his tutor’s nose, calibrated by an optician. A lamp above the table holds the light of engagement at a standardized level of lumens, using a predictable number of watts. Are these instruments not part of our culture here at Oakeshott? He wonders how the college community fails to acknowledge that the craftsmanship of its physical environment is part of its culture. Isn’t the tutor’s optician participating in the seminar, indirectly? Ms. Vendredi seems to have caught him staring at her glasses. Her eyes, distorted by the lenses, remind him of a lesson from Mr. Rousseau about the refraction of light and how a stick will appear to bend in water. She invites him to share what is on his mind. “Is this idea of culture measurable?” he asks. “What could one use to determine whether it is even real? And if it is, how might participants in the culture know when or if they are participating? And in the context of learning about human understanding, surely the economic output resulting from that understanding must be considered?”5 A hypothetical point of view, imagined based on a synthesis of Rousseau‘s emphasis of instrumentation in the education of Emile. See Rousseau 169, 176, 184, 188-189 34 �A classmate across from him responds. “I see what you’re saying. Maybe the measurement of learning is what you could use to show how culture is developing, and then furthermore how learning impacts local trade. Consider this passage in the text: ‘A large part of human conduct is, and always has been, concerned with exploiting the resources of the earth for the satisfaction of human wants, and much of human learning is concerned, directly or indirectly, with this endlessly proliferating intelligent engagement….’ (Oakeshott 11-12). In the context of a culture of learning about human self-understanding, she nods, Oakeshott would agree that, ‘This certainly is genuine learning’” (Oakeshott 12). Another peer to his left jumps in, “I think that economic output might be considered as a voice in the culture, but not the culture itself.” He wonders what she means by “voice.” Voices have ranges and are heard in pitches. They emit sounds in octaves. They can be transcribed onto staves of treble and bass clefs with precision. That is not what she means. She is talking about the conversation again. She cites Oakeshott, “Perhaps we may think of these components of a culture as voices... Each the expression of a distinct and conditional understanding of the world and a distinct idiom of human self-understanding, and of the culture itself as these voices joined, as such voices could only be joined, in a conversation” (Oakeshott 30). He does not quite follow. “Are you saying that the mere existence of the conversation itself is the value? Well, what is that conversation good for (Rousseau 179). His peers appear non-plussed. A man across the table retorts with a raised eyebrow, “I mean, that’s kind of the whole point here at Oakeshott. If you’re not here for the conversation,” he then looks around the table for reactions, “then what are we even doing here, guys?” Emile tries to explain what he means. “The idea of this conversation as ‘culture’ needs to have some utility and purpose that helps us toward self-understanding. It needs some property that allows one to use it to measure progress towards that self-understanding. Like it says on the lampposts...” He trails off and feels like he’s losing them. “Ok, just imagine it like this.” He finds himself proposing the development of a series of measurements, and then a data collection plan, for extrapolating the relative influence each “voice” might have on the outcome of self-understanding. One could develop an entire curriculum around this way of measuring impact, train experts in program management, advise governments on how to manage grants effectively, change the world…!6 He stops, seeing a mix of bemusement around the table. Has he departed from the text again?7 Another peer to his left chimes in, challenging him. “I feel like your idea matches what Oakeshott called ‘the relic of a dis- 6 A hypothetical train of thought, based on a description of Emile’s training in following his curiosity. See Rousseau’s anecdotes about magnetism, navigation, and optics. 7 I imagine this feeling would come up frequently, given his training in applying concepts that are not contained in his inspirational texts. 35 �position’ to value sciences ‘in terms of the use which may be made of the conclusions of their inquiries.’ An attitude like this ‘has sometimes led to a proliferation of what may be called semisciences - organizations of information in terms of the use which may be made of it’” (Oakeshott 22). Emile can sense that he is being cautioned against falling into the rabbit hole of applied science. arts, but to the continuous intellectual adventure in which human beings have sought to identify and to understand themselves’ (Oakeshott 13). So, if you let people get dragged into the tooling side of the learning process, you’d never have the intellectual adventure. You’d be so focused on the mechanics that you’d lose the plot about the purpose of those tools.” “Ok, well call them what you will, but these ‘semisciences’ sound important.” He encourages the seminar to think differently. “Surely there is a need for instrumenting these contributors to learning, these voices, especially given their potential impact on human understanding. The development of such tools, or instruments, for advancing our goal of self-understanding could drive entirely new ways of thinking. It is not a betrayal of liberal learning to use tools,” he asserts, “if they are being invented as part of the learning experience. My old tutor used to say, ‘With every tool I use, I do not fail to ask myself, “If I did not have this tool, how would I go about making one like it or doing without it?”’ (Rousseau 188-189). In this way, instrumenting the culture and conversation would be in service to Oakeshott’s ideals, not a distraction by an instrumental art.” He ponders this response, more than a little disappointed, and he starts to wonder if he made a mistake by coming here. Oakeshott College had seemed to have the same foundations of intellectual adventure as his tutor Rousseau, but he had not expected instrumentation to be so undervalued by his peers. Another peer across the table disagrees. “The focus should be on the general learning experience, not an obsession with its mechanisms. Oakeshott wrote that, ‘What comes into view is not merely an extension of the field of instrumental learning but an altogether different engagement of critical self-understanding in which we relate ourselves, not to our inheritance of instrumental 36 Ms. Vendredi brings the conversation back to center. “Oakeshott’s focus was that ‘Liberal learning is learning to respond to the invitations of the great intellectual adventures in which human beings have come to display their various understandings of the world and of themselves’ (Oakeshott 22). She might have noticed Emile’s furrowed brow and the beginnings of a doodle emerging from his pen. Isn’t the development of tools just such an intellectual adventure? He wonders. Is Oakeshott – both the college and its namesake – denying him an invitation to allow his own craftsmanship into the conversation? He sketches an isometric drawing of a pair of glasses next to the words “self-understanding” and “relic.” III. Dissonance Twenty-six months have passed since the click of the gate. Twenty-year-old Emile �sits in an empty natural science laboratory, his mind caught in a wrestling match between Rousseau and Oakeshott. His first year has been stimulating, different from his life before college. Even when he finds himself at odds with the college’s approach to learning, he could tolerate the difference as novel. Just as Mr. Oakeshott had written, the “voice” of the college was indeed just part of the conversation (Oakeshott 30). It was the loudest voice on campus, but he still had Mr. Rousseau‘s voice in his memory. But now, a microscope is on the counter in front of him, and he is furious. The instrument has been simple enough to learn how to use. He has regretted, even, not having had one earlier in his tutelage. What infuriates him now is not the device itself, but the memory of his peers’ attitudes toward the microscope during the lab earlier that day. They were given precise instructions on how to operate the scope and what to look for through its lenses. They each followed the instructions to the best of their ability. And that was all. Alone now, he pulls out a discarded pair of glasses he has recovered from a campus trash can. One lens has been cracked, but the other is perfectly intact. They were simple reading glasses. He could see, in his mind, how the lens could be removed from the glasses, then how it could be edged to fit a new component that could be placed over the eyepiece. With the right angle, a mirror, and with enough light from below, he might be 8 9 able to project the contents of the microscope slide onto a screen. Students could share the same experiences with one microscope, seeing the same things under the microscope at the same time, instead of requiring multiple microscopes and making students take turns. As his mind wanders, he wonders if he could find an old telescope, then try adding a layer of magnitude to the projection without altering the microscope lens.8 What bothers him now is that his peers took no interest in the microscope itself, only the contents of the slide. Indeed, he felt like the college itself took no interest in the microscope. Mr. Oakeshott himself would have relegated it to the domain of the “instrumental arts.”9 And yet, the instrument had been so critical in the learning experience for developing self-understanding among the students. The achievement of learning was directly proportional to the precision of the instrument. The inextricable link between instruments and learning meant that instrumental arts were the sine qua non of liberal arts. Emile could see all the unrealized potential blocked by this prejudice against tooling. Of course, the microscope was “just an instrument” to the single-minded goal of learning, but in understanding how the instrument was designed in the first place, Emile could imagine better instruments, better insights, better learning experiences. His frustration building, he begins feeling trapped on campus. In their sophomore year, many of the Oakeshott students have behaved less like curious peers and more like the arrogant buy- Inspired by Rousseau 201 A hypothetical conclusion inspired by Oakeshott 30 37 �ers he used to see visiting the craftsmen in the market. Being students at the college had become their source of dignity and self-perceived status. Their isolation and rejection of the instrumental arts marks their self-perceived intellectual purity. For people like this, modifying a microscope would mean temporarily leaving their blessed journey of liberating their souls from ignorance.10 Let the craftsmen worry about such things, he could imagine them saying. Now in his junior year, Emile clenches his fist around the discarded glasses thinking about the attitudes of his peers. Honest labor had been a defining part of his life’s meaning before Oakeshott. Mr. Rousseau had said, “To work is therefore an indispensable duty for social man. Rich or poor, powerful or weak, every idle citizen is a rascal” (Rousseau 195). The easygoing veneer of youth has worn off for him and his peers, and now he confronts the social experience of living among people with no work experience, no sense of what it feels like to translate ideas into reality and then to receive the most concrete feedback: a market-based compensation. Despondence replaces Emile’s outrage. What is his place here? He begins to feel the walls of the secluded campus stifling his instincts and deadening his voice. The dignity of work being stripped from this campus society, he notices dignity instead being assigned in other ways: the signaling of erudition with classroom performance, the carefree attitude towards life outside class, the adaptation of speech and dress to match the place and time and audi- 10 38 ence, and the exhibition of enlightened viewpoints ringing like an insistent bell in the hallways. Mr. Oakeshott had not written about this culture of the young and the learned. Yet here it was, the product of a secluded campus that rejected the tempering influence of the instrumental arts. His peers from last year’s Life of the Mind seminar have continued to cite Mr. Oakeshott as the way to learn liberally, but they have shared an unspoken consensus behind their eyes: that “liberal learning” is the key to avoiding an unimportant life. He had come to college to examine life’s meaning. His peers were now habitually examining whether anything they encountered rose to a level of sufficient prestige. He can sense that what he is experiencing is not necessarily what Mr. Oakeshott had intended, but it was nevertheless precisely the kind of society that Mr. Rousseau had cautioned him against. These students were chasing the gold and diamonds of the benighted aristocrats, and he had been taught to never forget the surpassing value of iron and glass among the noble craftsmen, whose art truly liberates. Mr. Oakeshott had sought to create a campus protected from the corrupting influence of the hic et nunc, but in so doing, he had exacerbated the corrupting influence of endless leisure or of promoting liberal learning as preferential to labor. Mr. Rousseau had taught him to integrate learning and labor. He could see now that his tutor had driven him to innovate, to invent, and to disrupt what he sees as ineffective or inefficient relics of institutional inertia. A hypothetical conclusion based on Oakeshott 22, 31, 34 �He wants to shout to his peers in an editorial, or surreptitiously post a call for change on the campus walls. They have misunderstood Rousseauian utility! “What is that good for?” is not a relic of a disposition toward utility but rather a call to virtue, a conviction of consciousness, not with the aim of economic impact but with the simple concept that ideas should make a difference. “This is now the sacred word,” he quotes Mr. Rousseau in his mind, “the decisive word between and me in all the actions of our life” (Rousseau 179). Here in the lab, without his craftsman’s tools, and with haughty judgments about instrumental arts clouding his self-esteem, the target of his despondence transfers. The disappointment is not with the college but with himself. Mr. Rousseau had warned him against the path of books. Mr. Oakeshott would never have wanted him here with his love of instruments and invention. He wants to flee, to climb over the walls. Or stage an insurrection, block the doors, make threats. But he has made a commitment to himself to finish this adventure. “No book other than the world, no instruction other than the facts,” (Rousseau 168). he recalls from Mr. Rousseau. This campus, the secluded world of liberal learning, is forcing him to question the value of a community that produces no goods and elicits no feedback from the outside world. He resents himself for studying here and yearns for the tools he sold over two years ago. He deftly pops the good lens out of the glasses. IV. Harmony It is the second term of his junior year, and Ms. Vendredi has invited Emile for a private conference. He notices the absence of her glasses, then sees the faintest outline of contact lenses around her green-blue irises. Apparently people do try new things at Oakeshott. He wonders if the light, bouncing off the mountains outside her window, refracts differently into her pupils than it did through her glasses over two years ago. “Would you mind if I read aloud?” begins Ms. Vendredi. He politely consents. She nods and raises the text to her eyes. “The art of the master consists in never letting his pupil’s observations dwell on minutiae which lead nowhere but in bringing him ever closer to the great relations he must know one day in order to judge well of the good and bad order of civil society” (Rousseau 190). She pauses, looking at him over her page. A slight smile grows at the corner of her mouth. Emile feels a touch of familiarity. He frowns, then returns a flicker of a smile, like a shaft of light through storm clouds, noticed only by one looking for sun. Ms. Vendredi goes on, her own smile growing, “One must know how to match the conversations with which one entertains him to the turn of mind he has been given” (Rousseau 190). She puts down the page. “How do you come to know the writings of my former tutor, Mr. Rousseau?” he asks. His eyes are soft, nostalgic. Hers are kind, with cordial distance, like an aunt who knows better than her nephew. 39 �She corrects him gently and with a wink, “Surely, you must mean my former tutor.” Emile is stunned. Mr. Rousseau was her tutor, too? A mist forms at the edge of her eyes. They share a common history. She explains how she herself had come to bridge the views of her Rousseauian tutelage with the call of Oakeshott College, at least two decades before he arrived. She had her own journey from the market to the secluded campus. “Mr. Rousseau and Mr. Oakeshott did not agree, but that does not mean you must choose one or the other. Will you indulge me with one more reading, this one from Mr. Oakeshott?” He consents, gladly. She picks up a separate page. “[C]hoosing wants to satisfy is also something that has to be learned, and […] the conditions to be subscribed to in making such choices are not the terms of the instrumental arts and practices in which chosen wants may be conveniently satisfied” (Oakeshott 13). “You see,” she prods Emile, “the desire to innovate and to invent, to challenge and disrupt and improve, this is a want you must learn when and whether to satisfy. It is not the deeper meaning you are seeking but a discipline, valuable in finding that meaning. It is a desire that you can use your instrumental arts to fulfill when the time is right. But!” She pauses and holds up a finger: a teaching moment. “The time is not always right! There are times when you must learn to concentrate on the simple fact of “being,” not what could be.” Emile observes her skeptically. “Ms. Vendredi,” he asks, “I think I understand 40 your advice, but where do you see this in Mr. Oakeshott’s text?” “Ah,” she nods, “let me continue. “What comes into view is not merely an extension of the field of instrumental learning but an altogether different engagement of critical self-understanding in which we relate ourselves, not to our inheritance of instrumental arts, but to the continuous intellectual adventure in which human beings have sought to identify and to understand themselves” (Oakeshott 13). “Do you see?” she asks. “Your ability to create instruments is a heritage, just like your current adventure of liberal learning is a heritage, passed down through generations and inviting those who cannot help but feel like there is something deeper to life. They exist side-by-side, instruments and critical learning. But you must also learn that there is benefit in setting one aside to focus on the other.” “So,” Emile asks, “do you mean to say that Mr. Oakeshott was not abjuring the instrumental arts but simply deferring them?” “Well...” Ms. Vendredi looks down and smiles at the question. When she looks up again, her smile is framed by a warm frown. “Maybe not. Oakeshott’s text keeps the instrumental arts at a distance from the liberal arts. I can’t say that my own conclusions are also his. And yet,” she added, “my experience of the two arts is that their differences are complementary.” She continues. “There are plenty of voices at Oakeshott College, if you learn to �discern them. I sense that you have been hearing one dominant voice, the voice that devalues the instrumental arts, rather too loudly. I don’t think that voice is Mr. Oakeshott’s. He knew the instrumental arts had value. In fact, their value was so great to the hic et nunc that it might crush the flourishing of liberal arts among students and faculty. Whether instrumental arts were to be abjured or deferred among students of the liberal arts might depend on what the student does after graduating. But before that moment, he did argue that they would be distracting.” between your pupils’ knowledge and mine’s ignorance! They know maps, and he makes them” (Rousseau 171). She nods in agreement, encouraging him to reflect. He ponders. “Is this feeling of being out-of-step with my classmates, of being ignorant, or being inferior... Is this just how it feels to draw your own map when everyone else already knows how to read one?” “Please remember,” adds Ms. Vendredi, “that you have a voice as well. And we all need you to use it – judiciously, of course, and respectfully, as we all must learn to do, even in discord. But use it you must, or else the chorus lacks harmony.” With this, she pauses, looking at her bookshelf. He follows her gaze to a well-worn copy of Robinson Crusoe. On faded paper, a map drawn by the hand of a child is folded up next to Defoe. Emile clears his throat and quotes their tutor. “Emile,” she says, “everyone at Oakeshott College is creating their map. And yes, some people already have fine calligraphy whereas you can create your own pens from scratch. But eventually, everyone has to cobble together their own map for themselves when they realize that there’s a quieter voice leading them into new territory. In the efficient market of the world outside, it’s tempting to assume that the rational system of compensation dictates real value. But there is a dominant melody of appetite there, drowning out the voice that calls for deeper meaning and greater value that does not attract compensation. Having heard that voice and, like me, found your way here, you can learn to discern the topography and listen to quieter voices, then join their harmony. Rousseau’s voice is here at Oakeshott, just not the dominant melody. “The goal is not that he know exactly the topography of the region, but that he know the means of learning about it. It is of little importance that he have maps in his head, provided that he is able to get a good conception of what they represent, and that he has a distinct idea of the art which serves to draw them. See the difference there already is “Now I hope,” she adds, standing up, “you will continue this conversation with me as you complete your journey here at Oakeshott. You know, you can have more than one mentor, and our Mr. Rousseau was just the first of many voices whose melodies you can recite simultaneously, in a lively interplay of harmony and dissonance. Learning to accept Emile begins to see her point. This new interpretation allows for the warring voices in his mind to coexist, without forcing them to agree, and without accepting one at the expense of the other. 41 �their invitation to listen, and sometimes to sing, is part of the process.” She smiles again. He looks out the window at the mountains, thinking how shallow they would be without the contrast of blue and green. V. The Instrument Emile is now twenty-one, a senior at Oakeshott. He is not yet thinking about his plan after graduation, but neither is he worried about whether he fits in. Even without the freedom to innovate and invent, he is experiencing an active world of experimentation in dialogue, in writing, and is finding sanctuary in the willingness of some tutors and peers to at least hear his ideas without judgment. The aspiring philosopher within him grows, happily, into a new kind of craftsman. In so doing, this philosopher also admonishes him to accept his own limits. There is indeed more to be learned by developing empirical instruments, but his mind is its own instrument, one that can only be made more precise after first being acknowledged. As he walks pensively along the perimeter of the campus, his hand trailing along the walls, he feels cheeky. Mr. Oakeshott’s “place of learning” may require him to defer his instrumental arts, but if the mind itself is an instrument, Rousseau may be having the last laugh. Emile remembers another of his tutor’s lines. “The surest means of raising oneself above prejudices and ordering one’s judgments about the true relations of things is to put oneself in the place of an isolated man and to judge everything as this man himself ought 42 to judge of it with respect to his own utility.” Here among the mountains of blue and green, his own mind under the metaphorical microscope, he has found and raised himself above his own prejudices. Has he seen the true relations of things? That would depend on how well the microscope was instrumented! He laughs to himself. Every seminar is a way of calibrating that microscope. With Rousseau and Oakeshott in harmony, he hears their voices fueling a surge of self-confidence for the remainder of his adventure in self-understanding. Rousseau, in baritone: “Emile has a mind that is universal not by its learning but by its faculty to acquire learning; a mind that is open, intelligent, ready for everything, and, as Montaigne says, if not instructed, at least able to be instructed” (Rousseau 207). And Oakeshott, in tenor: “To be human, to have wants and to try to satisfy them, is, then, to have the use of particular skills, instrumental practices and relationships. There is no action which is not a subscription to some art, and utterance is impossible without a language” (Oakeshott 12). He is a human, a self, on an adventure related to his particular skills, ready for everything. He hums along absentmindedly, fingering a lens in one pocket and a pen in the other, as the lamppost banners ripple in the wind. �Time, 8x8” oil on canvas panel - Amelia Taylor Wolfe It is what it is, Our sweet tautology— A phrase so warn and tattered, It’s seared in memory. You have no metaphysics When you say sweet nothings. Easy to ignore the Ever Present, The one and only True Being. Joey Jekel 43 �44 �Image, Imaginary, and Ignorance of Real Being The Myth of Narcissus in Plotinus’ Enneads and Anna Kornbluh’s Immediacy Gus Kraus When we look into a mirror and say that we see ‘ourselves’, we casually assume an identity between an image and that of which it is an image. This assumption, however, obscures the medium by which we face ‘ourselves’: the mirror. In fact, what we find is not at all what we sought, but only an appearance. Generalizing from this example, we may question the ‘given’ of the broader data of sense-perception: by what medium do we encounter reality? That is, not the image but the real thing, which causes the image? In pursuing this question, it may appear odd to pair a late Antique mystic “embarrassed about having a body”1 and a Jamesonian critic of “contemporary cultural aesthetics.”2 However, the intersections of Marxism and Psychoanalysis are no stranger to Ancient Literature: with “Odysseus or Myth and Enlightenment”, Adorno and Horkheimer offered3 their own contribution to a field of research in which Plotinus’ student, Porphyry, labored over a millenia before (eg. On the Cave of the Nymphs). This is to say nothing of Freud’s own reception of Sophocles’ Theban plays or, apropos of Plato, his tripartite division of the psyche (Greek for “soul”). In this respect, Anna Kornbluh’s 2023 Immediacy: Or, The Style of Too Late Capitalism carries on a well established tradition of both Critical Theory in particular and of Philosophy generally. Despite writing in different philosophical and historical contexts, Kornbluh rather interestingly parallels Plotinus in analogizing and allegorizing myth, specifically that of Narcissus, in order to critique a cultural ignorance of mediating and symbolic layers between a given image and reality. Narcissus in Critique of ‘Immediacy’ Kornbluh’s investigation of the Image and the Imaginary is one component in a broader project of aesthetic critique. She designates “Immediacy” as a contemporary cultural style that undertakes a “reification of what merely appears” (Kornbluh 190). This culturally dominant style demands immersion and eschews any form of mediating or representational interference. Rather than the cynicism and self-awareness of postmodernity calling attention to the work of art qua art (the object of Frederic Jameson’s seminal critique, which Kornbluh considers the cultural logic of an earlier period (Kornbluh 1213), Immediacy blurs formal delineations like media or genres to cultivate supposedly unmediated, authentic experience as art’s unquestionable raison d’être. It thus extols, in both form and content, effortless flow, or as Kornbluh describes, “#NoFilter” (Kornbluh 6). Hoping to ground us, contra Immediacy style, she calls our attention to one of its inherent contradictions: “[t]he paradox of immediacy is a cultural style that imaginesitself unstyled” (Kornbluh 11). Amidst the swirling sense of immediate urgency and aesthetic flux, wherein “representation is slackening … [m]edium dissolves, extremes effulge, exposure streams,” (Kornbluh 1) she discovers an economic basis of this cultural aesthetic, as a project of stylizing of the “intensification of circulation” (Kornbluh 44) of capital. Kornbluh uses this analysis of the material, objective basis of Immediacy to begin an investigation of the cultural style’s subjective effects, among which is a kind of Narcissism. Linking a Debordian account of this intensified circulation, where commod- 1 “On the Life of Plotinus and the Order of His Books”. The Enneads. Tr. Boys-Stones, George et al. Ed. Gerson, Lloyd. Cambridge University Press, 2018. 17. 2 Kornbluh, Anna. Immediacy: Or, The Style of Too Late Capitalism. Verso, 2023. 1. 3 Adorno, Theodor and Horkheimer, Max. Dialectic of Enlightenment: Philosophical Fragments. Tr. Jephcott, Edmund. Ed. Noerr, Gunzelin Schmid. Stanford University Press, 2002. 35. Facing Page: Hance, 15x11” intaglio print - Jesse Wood 45 �ities develop into spectacles4, to a Lacanian ‘reframing’ of psychological phenomena as topoi of social critique5, she makes the move from the Image to the Imaginary: “Too late capitalism’s circulation-centricity expediates a historical contingent inflation of the image, and arguably, the subjective corollary is the inflation of the imaginary” (Kornbluh 47). Kornbluh explores prior attempts to account for this “subjective corollary” in the the ‘trend’ of pop psychologizing today’s culture as abundantly narcissistic (Kornbluh 46) However, to interrogate this supposed “epidemic” of egocentricity within the image-economy “with a lens other than moral panic,” (Kornbluh 53) she recounts a psychoanalytic retelling of the myth of Narcissus: “When this ordinary entrance into the symbolic [as the “terrain of alterity”] is obstructed, the subject remains too much in the imaginary - the specular state we commonly recognize as “narcissism.” [...] The name comes from the ancient Greek myth of Narcissus, a young man who found his own reflection in a pool so captivating that he could not tear himself away from water’s edge and literally wasted away into death. [...] Narcissism fundamentally pertains to the image; the subject invests libidinally not in a substantiality like “ego” but in a speculative effect of the technology of the mirror. In the ancient myth, the image floats on water and might 4 therefore be construed as naturally occurring. But in Lacan’s retelling, the mirror function encompasses glass, photography, screens. Narcissism becomes qualified as an attachment to the ego qua effect of the mirror [...] Conditioning the very existence of the narcissist, mirroring also composes their primal demand: the reflection must be repeated. One selfie is never enough. [...] An economy that prizes the circulation of images, human capital entrepreneurs, and the data-fication of everything into endless counting of the homogenized same realizes in plasma the mythic promise of the fluid screen. Narcissus’s mirror is industrially ordained” (Kornbluh 51-52). Kornbluh’s critique of Immediacy’s psychological impact centers on how the hyper-circulation of images creates a relationship between the subject and those images analogous to that of Narcissus as his reflection. The subject, gazing into a screen as a bottomless sea of spectacles, takes as substantial, unmediated and real what, when subjected to critique (only possible via the Symbolic), is in fact contingent, mediated and imaginary. Kornbluh advocates for the mediating power of critical theory as a way to overcome this assumption of identity born of ignorance. “”Drowning in a deluge of images without context, words without meaning, information without distinction - this is the subjective experience in an economy of immediacy. [...] A society of the spectacle in which sociality transpires through eyes, it can often seem to individuals as though our work is the production of our own image …” ibid 45, 56; cf. “In societies where modern conditions of production prevail, life is presented as an immense accumulation of spectacles [...] The spectacles is not a collection of images; it is a social relation between people that is mediated by images.” Debord, Guy. The Society of the Spectacle. Tr. Knabb, Ken. Bureau of Public Secrets, 2014. Theses 1, 4. 5 “The psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan posits the imaginary, the symbolic, and the real as three distinct but interdependent orders of psychic experience. These reframe Sigmund Freud’s topography of the ego, the superego and the id, respectively, elucidating that the domains of the subject are also objective realms of the social.” Kornbluh 48. 46 �Narcissus in Inquiry into Beauty Plotinus wrote two different tractates concerning Beauty. According to his student, Porphyry, the first treatise he had ever written was I.6 “On Beauty”; years later, he revisited the topic in V.9 “On the Intelligible Beauty”6. Despite this gap between their composition, both make recourse to the myth of Narcissus to illustrate the transcendent and noetic qualities of Beauty. Following his dialectic method, Plotinus begins his inquiry into Beauty with a question: “[w]hat, then indeed, that has actually made us to imagine bodies to be beautiful … what is this beauty?”7 The possibility that Beauty emerges from the material substrate of bodies (BoysStones et al. (1.6.1.10-15)) or our perception of them is quickly dismissed. For Plotinus, it would be an impossibility, insofar that he is searching for Beauty as an existent and has said elsewhere that “matter does not even have existence [...] rather, we say that ‘existence’ is said of it equivocally …” (Boys-Stones et al. (I.8.5.10-15) 114). Instead, Plotinus establishes that the really-existent and immaterial Soul recognizes in a material body something else substantial, intelligible, “to which it has kinship” (BoysStones et al. (I.6.2.10) 94). A material body becomes beautiful only by participation in an undivided Form, in the real existent, in Beauty itself (Boys-Stones et al. (I.6.2.25; I.6.3.5-10) 95). The distinction between real ‘existence’ and the colloquial use of the word allows him later, in analyzing immaterial virtues as beauties, to connect Beauty to the real: “what does ‘real Beings’ mean? In fact, it means that they are beautiful Beings” (Boys-Stones et al. (I.6.5.15-20) 97). 6 Plotinus uses the myth of Narcissus as an exhortation to pursue this real, intelligible Beauty. Because Plotinus argues such a simple Form subsists in the noetic, (Boys-Stones et al. (1.6.9.40) 103) the apprehension of beauty becomes a cognitive act by the beholder. However, when we depend on our sense-perception rather than our intellect, we are unaware of the role our cognition plays in aesthetic judgements. Plotinus notes that we habitually “pursue external[ beauties], being ignorant of the fact that it is the internal that moves us. It is as if someone, looking at his own image, and being ignorant of where it came from, were to pursue it” (Boys-Stones et al. (5.8.2.3435) 612; Emphasis mine). This shorter mythic allusion emphasizes the noetic quality of the Form in which external Beauties pursue, and analogizes our ignorance of this fact to Narcissus not knowing what causes the image on the surface. In I.6 “On Beauty”, Plotinus recounts the story in more detail, and calls attention to own analogical readings. He enjoins the viewer that “...when he does see beauty in bodies, he should not run after them, but realize that they are images and traces and shadows, and flee towards that of which they are images. For if someone runs towards the image, wanting to grasp it as something true, like someone wanting to grasp a beautiful reflection in water - as a certain story (μῦθος) has it, hinting (αἰνίττεται) at something else, in an enigmatic way, I think, who falls into the water and disappears - in the identical manner, someone who holds on to beautiful “On the Life of Plotinus and the Order of His Books”. The Enneads. Tr. Boys-Stones, George et al. Ed. Gerson, Lloyd. Cambridge University Press, 2018. 20-21. 7 The Enneads (I.6.1.5-10). Boys-Stones et al, 92. 47 �bodies does not let them go plunges down, not with his body but with his soul, into the depths, where there is no joy for an intellect, and where he stays, blind in Hades [...]”8 “[H]inting at something else” implies a meaning for the story which is not immediately apparent. Plotinus posits a need for interpretation: the myth’s ainittetai (‘riddling’, intimating, or hinting9) beckons the reader to decode its ainigmata (“riddles”, whence English ‘enigma’10). But further, by retelling the myth in a self-referential way which calls attention to himself as an interpreter (“... I think…”). Following Plotinus’ lead, we may say that the myth of Narcissus does not merely portray a youth who chases not after the beautiful but its image; the story presents itself as an image, signifying some other meaning. The image discloses this hidden meaning only when we “flee towards that of which [it is an] image…” Plotinus uses the myth as a practical example the semiotic approach to material beauties he advocates, building on ‘Diotima’s Ladder’ from the Symposium11 as a hermeneutics of sense-experience via inward contemplation (theoria). An Intriguing Echo The Nymph, Echo, spurned by Narcissus, loses her bodily form and becomes merely a “voice”12. So too does a sound echoing through a cave mutate as it bounces from one surface to another. In the same way, the echo of the myth in its retellings changes through its successive receptions. Kornbluh, whose primary references concerning Narcissus and narcissism are Lacan and Freud, makes no indication of a noetic essence of Beauty. Furthermore, Plotinus would not 8 find much “to which [the Soul] has kinship” in Kornbluh’s materialist analysis of commodity circulation, which in a Marxist and Lacanian sense makes up an objective, social basis for the subject; thus, the outline of economic shifts necessarily prefigures her study of an inflated imaginary as their “subjective corollary”. But despite these retellings appearing within two discourses which could not be more at odds in principles, they share a stunningly similar rhetorical structure. The viewing subject catches sight of its reflection, and becomes erotically attached to this sensual datum (in a Plotinian sense, out of pursuit for the body and ‘plunging’ into matter; for Kornbluh, out of libidinal overinvestment). Despite the object reflected appearing ‘real’, the growing obsession obfuscates the role of the medium in constructing the object: as Kornbluh says, the [“imaginged real” is not the real, but the effect of the mirror], much like Plotinus who distinguishes the image for that which causes the image and that the body is merely matter participating in form. Both Kornbluh and Plotinus turn from telling the myth as a portrayal of narcissistic self-deception to telling the myth as moral, blending the descriptive and prescriptive. Therefore, both make a similar prescription: the subject must strengthen their awareness of symbolic mediation (via theoretical critique, via exegesis of the ‘enigmatic’). The myth thus retains a coherent, rhetorical effect despite striking differences in philosophical context. Boys-Stones et al. (1.6.8.6-16) 101; Emphasis mine. For the Greek text, Henry, Paul, and Schwyzer, Hans-Rudolf. Plotini Opera I. Tomus I: Pophyrii Vita Plotini, Enneades I-III. Oxford Classical Texts, 1964. 102. 9 Lidell and Scott. An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon. Oxford, 1889. 21. 10 ibid 11 Cf. Plato, Symposium 211b-c 12 “Corpus adhuc Echo, non vox erat…” Ovid, Metamorphoses 3.359. Ovid III Metamorphoses I. Loeb Classical Library, 1916. 3.359. 148. 48 �Doors and Windows of Mexico City - Aaron Knight There once was a thing in the void Its predecessor’s been destroyed Of being it’s not Becoming’s its lot It’s hard for the thing to stay joyed Amelia Wolfe 49 �~ Paul Harland-White 50 �Root to Rise Attachment in Xunzi Haley Prickett Xunzi opens the first chapter, “An Exhortation to Learning,” rooting himself in Confucius (through the invocation of something a gentleman says):”Learning must never stop… The gentleman learns broadly and examines himself thrice daily, and then his knowledge is clear and his conduct is without fault.”1 This is a particularly curious beginning that sets the stage for a project that is ongoing. Learning (the very subject being exhorted) cannot be finished, and must never stop. This suggests to me that the root–or the heart of this project Xunzi is undertaking–is likewise something eternal, and constant.2 I am perplexed by what learning is for Xunzi, and how the initial natural images make that less perplexing. Xunzi writes: Blue dye derives from the indigo plant, and yet it is bluer than the plant. Ice comes from water, and yet it is colder than water. Through steaming and bending, you can make the wood as straight as an ink-line into a wheel. And after its curve conforms to the compass, even when parched under the sun it will not become straight again, because likewise the steaming and bending have made it a certain way. Likewise, when wood comes under the ink-line, it becomes straight, and when metal is brought to the whetstone, it becomes sharp.3 Is natural learning different from education? I am understanding natural learning to be the knowledge gained through survival and getting older, a learning through experience–like that if you go underwater you cannot breathe, or if you touch fire you will get burned. Is Xunzi pointing us to a version of learning that is environmental learning? Do the people and the landscape among which one lives provide a parallel (but distinct) path of continuous learning that is not natural? This active learning, that the gentleman must never stop is growth in the present tense. So, I wonder: what is the root of this active learning and how is it possible to find any sort of footing, foundation, or stability with something that is constantly, by definition, in progress? I suspect that the images we are given of trees (those natural beings who transform, yet stand fixed and firm in their community) will be helpful. Two things Xunzi thinks about humanity seem initially clear: one, humans are not just born, humans are made, and two, we can only know what we see and hear. If you never climb a high mountain, visit a deep ravine, nor hear the wisdom of former kings, then you will never know the height of Heaven, the depth of the Earth, nor the magnificence of learning4 He writes (not in the words of a gentleman): “Children of [all] peoples cry with the same sound at birth, but when grown they have different customs, because teaching makes them thus.”5 I think I agree with him on this; people become what they are taught. But, then we have to 1 2 Eric Hutton, . Xunzi, “An Exhortation on Learning”. Princeton University Press, 2014. p. 1 This notion seems to check out for me, as a human who truly values learning and growth, learning does not have an end, learning is a way of being; learning is a continual process that must (in the imperative) continue. Otherwise… otherwise, what? There is no purpose to living? That seems extreme, but perhaps not too far off the mark. There is no growth? I think that is right, and supported by the images we are given of roots throughout this chapter. There is no transformation? That makes me wonder if transformation is a different sort of growth – one that requires intention, or cultivation. 3 Xunzi, p. 1 4 Xunzi, p. 1 5 Xunzi, p. 1 51 �wonder, what does it mean to be taught, and what should the content of the learning be? How does Xunzi use the examples of inanimate things that grow (and root and transform) to help us understand how the process (and product) of learning that underlies everything actually works. Learning is an ever ongoing event for Xunzi. In its continuity and cyclicality, nature provides a mirror for us to understand the proper form and purpose of ritual. Xunzi writes, in “The Rule of a True King” about the cosmic order: “Heaven and Earth are the beginning of life. Ritual and yi6 are the beginning of order. The gentleman is the beginning of ritual and yi.”7 By making ritual and yi his default, and learning to follow the form, the gentleman begins to accumulate virtue through his habits. The order of Heaven and Earth rely upon the “unifying guide” of gentlemen who tap into the “great root”8 through the practice of ritual. In this way, humanity gains cosmic relevance. The consistency that ritual provides creates a fixity. The ongoing practice of ritual solidifies and connects, across space and time, humanity. Ritual is a sort of glue that keeps us in connection with our ancestors, and in dialogue with future generations. Since reading Xunzi for the first time, I have been unable to forget his use of plants (silent, though living) to illustrate learning. As a self-taught botanist, the natural imagery of plants resonates, and I am interested to spend some time digging in (hah! pun intended) to the way they function within Xunzi’s project. In this essay, I will examine closely the images we are given of plants (things with roots) to clarify for myself (and ideally my reader) the way in which Xunzi uses the natural world to illustrate a truth about the human experience of learning. Before exploring further, it will be helpful to put the passage in question on the page: 6 In the south there is a bird called the meng jiu. It makes its nest from feathers, weaving it together with hair, and attaches it to the slender branch of a reed. When the wind comes along, the branch snaps, the eggs break, and its young perish. This happens not because the nest itself is flawed, but rather because of what it is attached to. In the west there is a plant called the ye gan. Its stem is four inches long, and it grows on the top of high mountains, so that it overlooks ravines a hundred yards deep. It has this view not because its stem can grow long, but rather because of where it stands. Likewise, when the peng vine grows among hemp plants, it goes straight up without being stood upright. The root of the lan huai plant is sweet-smelling angelica, but if you soak it in foul water then the gentleman will not draw near it, and the common people will not wear it. This happens not because the original material is not fragrant, but rather because of what it is soaked in. Therefore, the gentleman is sure to select carefully the village where he dwells, and he is sure to associate with well-bred men when he travels. This is how he avoids corruption and draws near to what is correct.9 The images presented are seemingly different: 1. The reed where the meng jiu bird builds its nest “fails” because of what it is attached to. 2. Seeing everything, the little plant (ye gan) “triumphs” because of where it stands. 3. The peng vine, growing upright, likewise “triumphs” because of where it stands. 4. The once sweet smelling roots of the lan huai plant, becoming foul, “fails” because of what it is soaked in. How do these metaphors illustrate something about learn- Since Hutton left yi untranslated, I shall do the same. It is worth noting what he says about the senses of the meaning. It can mean ethical standards (duty), the proper way to act (virtue), or righteousness. 7 Xunzi, “The Rule of a True King,” p. 75 8 Xunzi, “The Rule of a True King,” p. 75 9 Xunzi, “An Exhortation,” p. 2-3 52 �ing, and are the images consistent or distinct ideas? I suspect it is a both/and situation; they are both connected (there is consistency in the purpose of the image), and distinct–each has a unique nugget of wisdom. Each example deserves detailed observation. 1. The flimsy reed It is striking to me here that Xunzi first uses an example of a bird attaching to a plant. Birds can fly, they do not have roots or the limits of gravity in the same way, yet they demonstrate something crucial. Despite the fact that the meng jiu bird has some questionable parenting choices, the bird is not extinct (or at least not yet). Using the nearby reeds as a point of attachment, despite the nest being well built (in its own form, as a nest), the nest will ultimately render itself useless. When a strong wind comes along it is extremely likely, though not inevitable, that the baby birds will die. inevitably (and invariably) causes the nest to break and the baby birds to die. Are we to say, ‘what a dumb bird, how could it be so careless?’ I think no, the bird simply did what was natural, attached itself (and its future) to what it was surrounded by. Though, I do think we can wonder: ‘what a short-sighted bird, how could it not see the reed would not support the nest.’ This seems to be a pretty brutal example (unborn birds falling to their death before they even live), but also a pretty clear message about parenting 101–pay attention to the things you use to support your family. If they are not sturdy, rooted, and fixed (like virtue, or the Way), then there is no hope for your family. It could also be a warning about who you choose to surround yourself with– if they are reed-like, and flimsy, then death/ failure to thrive of the children will follow. They will not leave the nest and fly (as baby birds, or as students off to college) if your village lacks virtue. I cannot ignore the ambiguity of how it could be possible for this bird species to continue if it inevitably follows this same pattern?10 However, I think Xunzi is trying to illustrate the importance of being prepared for the wind, and attaching ourselves to things that are firmly rooted, and stable, otherwise we are sure to lose our footing, or our children! The nature of the reed is that it is flimsy, and not suited to support a nest. Since the meng jiu bird is not extinct, and the other metaphors in this passage are of plants, is the image actually about the reed? The reed (knowingly, maybe) allows the nest to become attached, for the time being. When the nest falls, the reed is unaffected. It simply continues its reed life, firmly rooted. Reeds are simultaneously flimsy and rigid. If foreign objects are attached to their stalks, if they are weighed down by something, then they do not panic and change their own course. They wait patiently for a strong enough wind to snap the “tumor” (nest) off. The reed is both shaky and solid. It is not capable of supporting life beyond its own being, in the same way a redwood tree might be. 2. The little ye gan The little plant is circumstantially favored–it is on a big mountain, it has a great view… but it does not ever get to be too tall, or too useful for that matter. It just lives out its little four inch life looking into the deep valleys, “because of where it stands.” This image of a tiny plant (smaller than the palm of your hand) with the view of the whole world from the top of a mountain makes me wonder if Xunzi is (with extreme subtlety) making a commentary on society. The little plants are fortunate; they have been born on a mountain top (perhaps this is like the nobility, or the family of the emperor–people who are born into “privilege” in society). Xunzi writes, “The gentleman is exceptional not by birth, but rather by being good at making use of things.”11 The ye gan, through no merit of its own root system, have been afforded the luxury 10 This is a potentially WILD turn of events, but what if this example of the bird is commenting on generational trauma… it will continue to shape those who do survive (invisibly) as they will either die out early, and continue the cycle generationally, or they will break the cycle and attach their nest elsewhere. 11 Xunzi, p. 2 53 �of an unobstructed view. They need not rely on anything beside their origins to see completely, or become educated through learning. The gentleman becomes exceptional because he is aware of what might be useful, not because he was born that way. The gentleman is made through learning. 3. The upright peng vine It grows straight (not through any virtue of its own root system) because it is supported by the hemp plant. Yet, because of the sturdy and reinforcing hemp plant, the vine can attain height. Like the ye gan, where the plant stands, where its roots are, is relevant. The peng vine (AMONG hemp plants) does not need to be stood up because it grows straight. The straight growth is the result of what is around, not necessarily any virtue of its own root system. It is the proximity in space to something else (something notably different from it) that enables it to climb. The direct physical proximity provides the foundation; the habitat determines the direction. If I am right, and this metaphor is a social commentary, does that mean where one is born in society determines where one’s learning begins? There is still no end to learning, but perhaps this is illustrating where one must start, from the perspective of a commoner (born without a title); one must learn from a teacher. The hemp plant guides the peng straight. Through learning, the vine climbs and is made straight, much like a commoner who goes on to become emperor (like everybody’s favorite emperor Shun, or Yu, the craftsman of the rivers), or any commoner who happens to be attached to the right teacher and learns the proper use of ritual. In fact, Xunzi concludes the chapter “Human Nature is Bad,” by twice exclaiming: “Everything depends on what you rub up against!”12 What we attach ourselves to, will dictate everything that follows. The little plant and the upright plant are connected “likewise,” suggesting similarity between the two images. Initially, I thought that the function of these images in- 12 13 54 Xunzi, “Human Nature is Bad,” p. 257 Xunzi, “The Rule of a True King,” p. 77 cluded explaining what it means to be rooted, or the “virtue” of being rooted. But, it is notable that they are “successful” as plants, more despite than because of their root systems. Yes, it is due to external circumstances that they are successful: the little plants have the best view because of their “home” on a mountain, and the vines grow straight because of the “village” of hemp plants supporting them. Potentially these two images serve to amplify what is possible for plants in a community, as opposed to relying entirely on oneself. The importance of community is not to be overlooked. In fact, Xunzi claims that if humans do not have social order, chaos will follow: “If there is chaos then they will disband. If they disband then they will be weak. If they are weak then they cannot overcome the animals. And so they will not get to live in homes and palaces. This is the meaning of saying that ‘one must not let go of ritual and yi even for a moment.’”13 This sets the direction Xunzi is going. So far, the examples have brought the danger (or advantage) of attachment and position to the forefront. The nests attached to the reeds that fall, the four inch plants that grew on the top of a mountain, the help provided by the hemp plant encourages a supported and upright vine. The final example though is different, it is only after the roots are no longer rooted that they become relevant for the metaphor. 4. Smells like Teen Spirit While rooted, the fragrance of the lan huai is dormant. When uprooted the smell is delightful. When soaked in something foul, the fragrance of the roots transforms–everyone now keeps their distance. This image presents unrooted roots “soaked” in something foul. Which makes me wonder why one would expect something marinated in something to smell anything but likewise foul. It is possible there is something important about the contrast between presoaked roots (a delight to the nostrils) losing their fragrance when soaked, and absorbing a different, and horrible odor (an offense to the olfactory system). There is a transforma- �tion, a material change, that happens when it is detached from its origins.14 Is being rooted in a place and being uprooted and soaked elsewhere really helping us understand the same thing? Upon reflection, I think yes. What we connect ourselves to, our roots, what we hold dear, what we deem of value does shape and transform us. Likewise, what we allow to permeate us, will transform us. Much depends on the nature of what we are being soaked in; if it is good, we will become good. If we study the ancients and practice ritual, the wealth of things to learn is infinite. If we gamble, and seek pleasure, and hang around with foul smelling people, we will be transformed and have a foul smell that repulses commoner and nobleman alike. Both being rooted, and being uprooted (both attaching to and detaching from) are examples of the external world influencing the internal. Does Xunzi think the “virtue” of a thing (plant or person) is nearly inseparable from the roots it has? Or is he pointing us to consider the circumstances as the real linchpin? Circumstances will always change; adaptability is crucial. It seems pertinent that plants do grow towards light. There is a natural inclination to use the energy being offered by the sun, the gentleman is likewise resourceful. 5. Roots as a Metaphor/The Secret Life of a Plant Parent–An Interlude All plants rely on their root systems to sustain their life and encourage new growth. They are in most cases subterranean(although air plants are a thing, and plants do have ‘aerial roots’), providing invisible stability; in all cases, roots are crucial to the health of a plant. Roots are what we connect ourselves to. Roots do not consider the profit to be gained by growing, they grow by instinct. Plants are different from us, yet they have much to teach us about how to live (and maybe, how to learn!) and how to make more life. In the plant world, people have “propagation stations” which consist of cuttings from other plants in water (or sometimes moss). As the cutting soaks in the water, it miraculously (though naturally) grows roots. You can keep some plants in water for a long time–years if you want to! It’s fascinating to see the root systems develop. It is also easy to notice if the roots are healthy or not (more so than you can when they are in soil, obviously); roots will turn brown and soggy when they have rotted; rotten roots are fatal. Trimming the rotten roots will help the plant grow healthier and potentially save the plant’s life. By observing the health of roots, it is possible to discern the natural growth pattern. If we consider roots metaphorically it seems only natural to think of where one comes from. The two most influential forces in shaping minds are (I think): family and education. What do family and education provide a person with? That feels like a loaded question, but I think in an ideal world, they provide the soil – where virtues are cultivated. Thus, if the values are rotten, the plant (and the person) will become likewise, rotten. If I live a life rooted in honesty, I will become an honest person. Not only what roots are, but also where the roots are, is relevant in shaping the future. Xunzi is asking us to look at the people around us, and if we see that they are flimsy and unsupportive, then we need to move! Or, we need to find a teacher, because we (and all of our future generations) are doomed otherwise. Now, (because I do not suppose that Xunzi’s intention was for me, thousands of years later, to use his ideas to explore my own understanding of roots as a plant parent), I will return to the text explicitly, with the question of how these images help the reader understand learning. 6. What to Do? Where to Next? It’s a Jungle Out There! The conclusion of the image reveals that the plants serve to explain that one must exercise discernment in selecting one’s community. Xunzi corroborates: “the gentleman is sure to select carefully the village where he dwells, and he is sure to associate with wellbred men when he travels. This is how he 14 I have a hunch that the opening images of dye, freezing, and an uncarved block (being made straight or round) might be a mirror for these images of roots and trees. 55 �avoids corruption and draws near to what is correct.”15 The duality of motion (towards what is right and away from what degrades) requires a double awareness–what will be to our benefit, and what will be to our detriment. Plants already know this inherently; they move towards the sun. The physical rootedness of plants (in the soil) limits their ability to move away from corruption. Luckily, we metaphorically rooted humans have more sovereignty. With this sovereignty also comes an infinite number of possibilities and choices. How are we supposed to know what is correct? Based on the poem16 that follows, the suggested technique for discerning what we should seek lies in building our foundation. What we build upon will dictate what is created. Just like in the natural world, bugs are generated from “rotten meat,” and maggots come from “fish that’s spoiled,” so too in human society. Ruin and misfortune emerge from “lazy, haughty men who forget their place.”17 If the foundation within (the roots) are corrupt, anything built on top will be building towards hatred. So, this makes clear, the uncorrupt path would build towards yi.18 Xunzi expounds upon this poem with more natural imagery. He writes, “You may spread out firewood as though all of the same kind, but fire will still seek out the dry pieces. You may level out the earth so that it appears all even, but water will still seek out the wet places…Wherever trees create shade, flocks of birds will rest. Wherever something turns sour, flies will gather.”19 Here, the emphasis is not on things that are rooted, but unrooted things that can move! Though the purpose of the metaphors is linked (nature can teach us about virtue), it feels like an in- 15 16 version from the four images of plants I have been focusing on. If not an inversion, it is certainly a change in perspective. The idea that fire will be able to perceive which wood is dry (and therefore good for food and growth), and likewise that water will be able to seek its nature seems vital. If what is beneficial is visible, this image is useless. I think the point is that despite the effort made to disrupt what appears (spread out firewood, as if you are testing fire to see if it knows what it ought to attach to), it will not disrupt the natural course of things. It is biologically fundamental that birds and creatures on foot will flock towards the place where there is shade, and food. Xunzi declares: “Likewise, there are words that summon misfortune, and there is conduct that beckons disgrace, so the gentleman is careful about where he takes his stand.”20 I am struck by the fact that in order to know where to stand, there are words and actions that are to be avoided (but not a clear prescription of what is to be searched for). This furthers Xunzi’s opening thought that learning is unending. It is not just knowing what there is to know; it is also being able to build upon that foundation. If you can accumulate enough earth, you can make mountain (bringing wind and rain!). If you can accumulate enough water, you can create a pool (bringing the dragons to live!). Xunzi boldly follows these two natural examples in an axiomatic way: “If you accumulate enough goodness to achieve virtue, then you will naturally attain to spirit-like powers and enlightenment, and the heart of the sage is complete therein.”21 The transition here is profound. If you live a good life, the “natural” progression appears Xunzi, “An Exhortation,” p. 3 Ode? It’s unclear the source of the passage, but it is set off, suggesting it belongs to a different source that Xunzi is using to build his argument. 17 Xunzi, “An Exhortation,” p. 3 18 It is not obvious what the antonym of hatred would be in this context. Perhaps yi is the closest? That would fit nicely with the emphasis Xunzi places on the combination of ritual and yi. However, I think if we read it as love, that would also be a reasonable articulation of the antithesis. 19 Xunzi, “An Exhortation,” p. 3 20 Xunzi, “An Exhortation,”p. 3 21 Xunzi, “An Exhortation,”p. 3 56 �to be a categorical transformation towards a higher self. It is with this enlightenment that the heart of the sage is perfected. Wow! Talk about a product of learning–“spirit-like powers”! This makes me wonder, how many plants would it take to make the inside space an “outside” space? Is there a quantifiable way to distinguish that a place is more like a jungle than an apartment? I wonder this because, it looks like there is a change of state that happens to the person who achieves these “spirit-like powers and enlightenment.” This appears to echo the opening images –ice being colder than water (its original state), and the indigo dye being bluer than the plant (in its original state). However, unlike the wood that has been made straight or curved will not revert in the sun. Yet, if the process of accumulating virtue and goodness stops, a regression is possible. Is this transformation of the heart a change of state for the person? Accumulating knowledge of plants requires continual and consistent effort (you must learn about your plants, care about your plants—water, fertilize, make sure your plants are getting enough light; you sometimes have to deal with pests, or clean up spilled dirt in the house, etc.) The parallel lines I see between how learning is being understood by Xunzi and my unending plant journey is helpful. The layers and layers built on top of one another are an accumulation of knowledge, there is always more to learn, but in the learning there is (indeed) a transformation. Perhaps if I were a sage, and studying ritual and not plants, my heart would not just transform, but also complete! Xunzi proceeds to explain that he is not talking about anything easy; the lazy and distracted will not triumph. He offers the example of a carver. If he first tries to carve rotten wood, he will not know how. But if he is single minded, and practices, one day he will be able to “engrave even metal and stone.”22 By analogy Xunzi compares an earthworm and a crab. The legless earthworm is single-minded, its focus is unwavering; by contrast, the multi-limbed crab is 22 23 frenetic and relies on the snakes and eels for finding water. By taking one step at a time, with full focus, the next step will be easier. In repeated action, behavior solidifies. It is by means of consistent words that one’s character becomes trustworthy. It is by continued propagation and care of my plants that approaching “jungle” status in my apartment can even present itself as a possibility. It does not come as a surprise Xunzi moves from this idea of accumulation to ritual. 7. Ritual = the G.o.A.T. Root The world around us repeats visibly each year. As a Californian, I see the sun set in the west over the Pacific. There are no deciduous trees that announce the fall, though there is a subtle movement in where the sun sets on the horizon. In autumn, the sun gets closer in alignment with the view I have from the beach, where I’m standing. After the winter solstice, the sun slowly moves farther to the northwest. Similarly, trees lose their leaves in brilliant fashion, only to have them return again in the spring. Both are a form of ritual. They are a visible expression of action. Nature is a sort of ritual. The expression of it will vary, but the root of it will remain constant. Ritual as a root provides a clear method, though little room for creativity. This rigidity provides something to hold on to, and something to build upon. The roots of ritual extend far beyond the present moment and offer an outline of what is “proper.” You do not need to discern whether or not it is “beneficial” for you–it has stood the test of time. But, it is possible you could accumulate virtue, but not have the proper clothing, or offering or item needed to perform the ritual perfectly. The prescriptiveness of ritual certainly complicates things. Luckily, Xunzi reassures us not to despair and gives us an analogy with sound. The ancients remark on how animals draw near to music and that all sounds are heard. Xunzi reassures us there are no sounds “so small as not to be heard. There is no action so subtle as not to be manifest… If you do good, will it not accumulate? How could it be that none hear of it?”23 Even the Xunzi, “An Exhortation,” p. 5 Xunzi, “An Exhortation,” p. 5 57 �smallest step towards goodness, and virtue, is a step closer. The only “wrong” thing to do is to not take a step. 9. The “End” of this Essay One must remember that the opening claim of Xunzi was that learning must not stop. However, this essay must end, eventually. Yet, what the path of learning looks like, or how one is to know if she is going in the right direction or not, is still ambiguous. Anticipating a good student would wonder this, Xunzi rhetorically asks the beginning and end of learning, only to introduce a parallel distinction between order and purpose. The order of learning begins by reciting the classics, and the end is the study of ritual. In other words the end is an activity–an ongoing effort. Next Xunzi explains the purpose “begins with becoming a well-bred man, and ends with becoming a sage.”24 It is only after knowing the order that the purpose is illuminated. Xunzi provocatively concludes: “to pursue it is to be human, to give it up is to be a beast.”25 In every moment we are alive, the purpose is in the present tense. The pursuit of wisdom is what makes us more than human. Learning is not something that 24 25 26 58 Xunzi, “An Exhortation,” p. 5 Xunzi, “An Exhortation,” p. 5 Xunzi, “An Exhortation,” p. 6 happens to us; it is a life-long task. If we do not spend our lives continually learning, we forsake our humanity. Could the stakes get higher than that? There is not an “end” to learning; there is death, which stops learning, and there is ritual, where learning stops. The difference between a limit (or a stopping point) and an end is subtle, but significant. It is in this way that Xunzi can logically make learning a continual way forward, inseparable from ritual. The vision of learning Xunzi gives us is not pessimistic and offers a relatively clear direction for the most expedient way to learn: “draw near to the right person… And exalting ritual comes second.”26 Who we surround ourselves with, who we “draw near” and “imitate” will determine who we become. Our attachments are paramount; where we are rooted is where we will rise from. Bibliography Xunzi, The Complete Text. Translated By Eric Hutton. Princeton University Press, 2014. �Interviews & Toasts Vanity with Globe - Amelia Taylor Wolfe 5x5” oil on wood 59 �Meet Tutor, Mr André Barbera Shirely Quo sponsibility. But if we are not responsible, i.e., blameworthy, how can it be sin? Sin implies culpability, and so we seem to be suffering the consequences, indeed the punishment for something that we didn’t do. Why must we be descendants of Adam and Eve? Why couldn’t our first parents have been obedient and blameless? We never asked to be descended from Adam and Eve. St. Augustine asserts: “be a man guilty of unbelief, or a perfect believer, he does not in either case beget faithful children, but sinners; in the same way that the seeds, not only of a wild olive, but also of a cultivated one, produce not cultivated olives, but wild ones.” (On Original Sin, ch. 45) 6 December 2024 Mr André Barbera hails from Connecticut where he studied at Wesleyan University. He completed his PhD in 1980 at the University of North Carolina. The title of his thesis was ‘The Persistence of Pythagorean Mathematics in Ancient Musical Thought’. He taught at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana before coming to St John’s College in 1990 to teach at its Annapolis campus. Recently, Mr Barbera completed his latest book, ‘Original Sin and Time’ which explores the idea that God is not bound by time. It is written from a Judeo-Christian perspective. His new book will be available in early 2025. The following blurb was kindly provided by Mr Barbera: We generally don’t like to talk about sin, and we especially don’t like to talk about original sin, a sin for which we deny re60 The vast majority of biblical exegesis, commentary, and preaching on original sin attempts to temper the apparent harshness of this notion. We rush to contextualize the condemnation, historically, psychologically, and spiritually. Things aren’t that bad. But what if they are? This book explores the possibility that each and every one of us is guilty for all misery and woe, for our willful transgressions, for the cruelty of others, and for so-called natural disasters such as earthquakes. We commit the sin of self-reference, we say “I,” and thereby we temporalize ourselves. Original sin and time are the same thing. Although it is a standalone book, it continues a discussion about Augustine which he began in his previous book called ‘On Faith, Works, Eternity, and the Creatures We Are’. In that book, which forms part of a series, Reading Augustine, Mr Barbera considered �the question of faith, how an individual may act faithfully, and what good (if any) is faithful action. Drawing on the letters of the Apostle Paul and the work of philosophical thinkers such as Søren Kierkegaard, Mr Barbera explored numerous aspects of faithful living, from religion, original sin, and tests of faith, to the power of prayer, and even the concept of atheism. Mr Barbera formulated a postulate drawn from Augustine’s Confessions: God is not bound by time. The person of faith, however, is enslaved by time. Mr Barbera has been a tutor at St John’s College for more than 30 years. He teaches in both the undergraduate and graduate program although he is more familiar with the former. He says that it is easier to teach undergraduates because the majority of the students come from similar backgrounds and have similar knowledge whereas the graduate students come from many different backgrounds and different life experiences. However, the undergraduate program is more technically demanding. He completed his PhD in ancient music theory and used to play the piano although he says that he stopped playing the piano because he realised that he was doing it for procrastination rather than enjoyment. In comparison to other colleges and universities, St John’s College does not require tutors to undertake research and publish schol- arly books or journal articles. However, the purpose of a sabbatical is not so much compensatory but preparatory, i.e., to come back refreshed for another teaching year. St. John’s tutors are expected to teach all subjects, regardless of their formal academic backgrounds. This includes classic works in philosophy, literature, political science, psychology, history, religion, economics, mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology, astronomy, music and language. Unlike the graduate program, undergraduates take a class called “laboratory” where they discuss scientific texts in biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, and genetics, and then recreate iconic experiments in the Junior laboratory. The laboratory is about modern classical physics, e.g., Galileo, Newton etc. Mr Barbera says that there has always been a question mark about whether the laboratory should be part of a traditional liberal arts education but it has been a St John’s tradition ever since the Great Books Program was adopted in 1937. In addition to teaching Mathematics and Natural Science this semester in the graduate program, Mr Barbera is also teaching a preceptorial on Augustine and the City of God in the undergraduate program. 61 �Becoming a Reader Toast to the Tutors (Fall 2024) Charmaine D’Souza To begin, I need to say a couple of things aloud. this—standing in front of people—not so much. I did not consider myself a reader, especially not of the Great Books, before arriving at St. John’s. While some of the undergrads are known to call the GIs “half-Johnnies” based on how much of the Program we read, I consider myself more like 10% Johnny. In my panic, but knowing I have an incredible family, I sent them a one-word message: HELP! That said, I think this judgment by these undergrads is a bit cruel. So, I would like to leave this place giving my peers a new title: GI Johnnies. It is a true and fitting title for most here and aspirational for someone like me. A second note: I haven’t conferred with my graduating peers while preparing for this speech, but I hope my words are a reflection of yours as well. Now, with that said... Most people in my circles back home try to resolve their midlife crisis by purchasing a luxury motorcycle or a weekend at a 7-star resort. I feel fortunate that the lockdown, though under unfortunate circumstances, gave me the chance to pause, take stock, and realize that those sources of instant gratification and/or bandages would not give me my answers. I needed to step away from the noise and contemplate what it truly means to live a well-lived life. When Mr. Boyle asked me to raise a toast to our tutors a couple of days ago, I was deeply grateful for the opportunity to express my appreciation. Thank you, Mr. Boyle! And then, in the dark stillness of my bedroom, just before going to sleep that night, I panicked. I love one-to-one conversations and those around the seminar table, but 62 The next morning, my dad responded with a quote: “I must be willing to let go of what I am in order to become what I will be.” Attributions to this source are unclear. Einstein or Lao Tzu—whoever said it—had a point. My dad knows me well. He had a point, too. As I reflected on this quote, I recollected that transformation often requires sacrifice. I had forgotten that for a long time. To become who I am today, I had to let go of the comfort of who I was. To become who I am meant to be, I must let go of the comfort of who I am now. Letting go hasn’t meant abandoning my identity; instead, it’s been about unearthing and letting go of outdated beliefs that no longer serve me—allowing them to wash away. Holding too tightly to principles— like Creon—or to ideas of my current self, including my habits, fears, and even my successes, had become invisible traps. Today, I see I am better for the letting go. What felt like a sacrifice isn’t truly lost; instead, it has become the foundation of my becoming—the beginning of knowledge— of an education. This journey has required trust. This journey required faith in myself, confidence in my adaptability, and reliance on our community of learners and teachers. To all my peers in the classroom and at the GI, from Kashya Boretsky, a classmate in my first semester to her spouse, Stephen Borsum, a classmate in my last one, thank you! �As for the teachers, they have appeared in the form of each book and every tutor here at St. John’s. Mr. Jeffrey Smith’s contagious enthusiasm at our Politics & Society tutorial table ignited my passion for Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics. Please remember that was my first tutorial. Aristotle. The Ethics. What a start to a master’s program for a non-reader! Through our sessions, I realized that society begins with the self, then family, followed by neighbors, the city, and beyond. I learned I had no business trying to change the world if I couldn’t get the first three— self, family, and neighbor—right. Euclid with Mr. Crockett taught me that the difference between things being equal and congruent isn’t just foundational in mathematics but also in life. Discerning when something needs to align perfectly with my expectations, goals, and desires, and when equal is good enough, is invaluable in the pursuit of a well-lived life. And then, there is Mr. Braithwaite. In the wise words of Kung Fu Panda, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” We began this semester with me embodying the role of the stubborn, ignorant comrade in Hipparchus. May I say, I played that role exceptionally well. But that’s not why I came to St. John’s. My hope is that I have let go enough to now resemble the comrade in Minos—still flawed, still learning, but a work in progress. A quick side note: Over Thanksgiving a couple of weeks ago, I visited Seneca Rocks in West Virginia. At one of the local stores there, I came across a souvenir mallet with the words etched on the handle: “Hillbilly Attitude Adjuster.” Mr. Braithwaite, thank you for being my very own “attitude adjuster.” Much needed and deeply appreciated. “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. When the student is truly ready, the teacher will disappear.” I must admit—I am not truly ready. I feel as though my education has only just begun. But life moves forward. That’s the world we live in. Undergraduate studies is four years and Masters two. We quantify it with grades and a certificate and call it education. I can’t. I choose not to. I must see my time at St. John’s as a primer—a foundation for a lifetime of learning. Today’s seminar table can turn into tomorrow’s laptop screen. Not congruent, perhaps, but metaphorically equal. Whether we came here to reflect on life, learn from the Greats, or earn a degree, St. John’s has been our catalyst. While the soul of this college is the Program and the great lives and wisdom we read through it, the beating heart is undoubtedly our tutors. To our tutors, the primers of our education. Cheers! 63 �Like Alyosha Toast to the Tutors (Summer 2024) Emily Price I have spent some time, in the last few weeks, thinking about what it means to say goodbye and how to do it well--the closing of a chapter. At the start of a journey, we need the courage to begin. When we meet obstacles, we muster courage to face them. But saying goodbye takes courage as well. on without me. If I clench my fist around this gift, I will lose what I have, it will slip through my fingers. It is a thing to be held with an open palm. St. John’s has been a haven for me—for many of us. A golden hour—sunlight illuminating the world, showing us its glory for a few sacred moments. On this campus, pretense is disposed with. Careful reading is expected. Sincerity is rewarded. We are learners, listeners. St. John’s is a world we hoped might exist, somewhere. But which of us dared to hope we’d find it? Or that we’d be invited inside? In such a place you could linger forever. I wish I could. But, like Alyosha, most of us cannot stay within these walls. We’re sent back into the world. Monday morning comes, and our lives and our work stretch out before us. To say goodbye takes courage. It is you, dear tutors, who have taught me this. For a seminar is just such a beautiful, delicate thing, and you are masters at holding it gently. How easy it would be to have an agenda, to demand a particular outcome. To give the equation or spoil the ending. But you know that each of us must see for herself, and so you content yourselves with a subtle task--balancing the ecosystem of the classroom. You nudge rather than mandate. You redirect by modeling inquiry. With self-restraint you allow a conversation to fumble its way toward insight. And because of your work—your forbearance and humility—you preserve a space where students like me may come to meet the great minds of the past for ourselves. My St. John’s education is gift. I cannot demand it continue beyond its bounds. I cannot grudge the rest of you for continuing Thank you for offering me this gift. I will treasure it and try to hold it with an open palm. 64 Whoever teaches us how to orient to things as beautiful and delicate as a goodbye? �What’s a Eureka Moment you had in class? selected responses from students Reading Aristotle’s Ethics, I was appreciating the balance and symmetry he was describing between virtues and vices, but was worried that often referring to “how a virtuous man would do it” was either tautological, or at least left the reader at sea. But at some point I considered that this wasn’t (only) a philosophical treatise to be understood or judged on its logical coherence, but as Aristotle said, something to aid us in actually becoming more virtuous. When I considered his model as a guide to iterative consideration of my actions and desires, I realized that I have always had the experience of having a chance of being a ‘good man.’ And now I had a way to consider and refine, over time, what the content of a ‘virtuous person’ was. I also realized that it’s being dependent on, and also something greater than the sum of individual virtues, meshed with a sense I’ve always had, but had never put into words. In Lobschevski’s 18th theorem: He rotates an angle that, once moved, maintains its original inclination. This ability to move while staying equal was predicted in a previous essay of mine, so when I got to Theorem 18 I was doing backflips. Alexander Bram, MALA, Both Campuses I took a Preceptorial over TS Eliot’s poetry. It wasn’t a particular moment, but rather a collection of moments when I would pause in the middle of class and wonder at the fact that we had already talked about a poem for more than an hour and there was still so much more to say. Day 1 attending class I remember thinking, “….so they actually want to know what I think?”. Day 2 was, “….am I actually thinking about this right?” and Day 3 thinking, “….it doesn’t matter what I think as long as I’m thinking about it!”. Doing geometry without numbers was a major aha! moment as well. Joseph Griego, MALA, Santa Fe My entire career here has been a series of aha! moments, such that the totality is more in view now and specific moments recede. To no longer worry that I don’t know, to feel a joy in seizing with others on a delicate moment to find something new, to hear those possibilities and to help birth them, that is thing I live for. Amelia Wolfe, MALA, Annapolis By giving very short and (at longest) relatively short reading assignments, the GI program encourages rereading. I sometimes read passages three times before class. It took many readings - but eventually, sitting there and reading yet again, I finally understood what Lobachevksi must have meant by asserting that the sum of the angles of a triangle MAY be less than π. Peter Daub, MALA, Annapolis Stacey Rains, MALA, Both Campuses I can describe one of my first experiences of this. It was a comment Ms. Schwartz made during a discussion of the Iliad that had to do with the rejection of one’s own humiliation or shame and how that is the genesis of so much conflict, confusion, and even war. Karen Kohut, MALA, Low Residency, Santa Fe Ned Walpin, EC, Santa Fe 65 �Thanks to Our Contributors Stafford Wood Santa Fe ‘25 Amelia Taylor Wolfe Annapolis ‘26 Travis Kyker Annapolis ‘25 Jesse Wood Santa Fe ‘26 Charles Edward Chapin Santa Fe ‘26 Michael Vigil Santa Fe ‘25 Tova Gannana Santa Fe ‘26 George Kalandadze Annapolis ‘26 Rachel Brown Santa Fe ‘26 Aaron Knight Santa Fe ‘26 James Paul Rogers Santa Fe ‘26 Deana Moss Sante Fe ‘25 Gus Kraus Santa Fe ‘25 Stephen Borsum Annapolis ‘25 Cynthia Crane Annapolis ‘25 Shirely Quo Annapolis ‘25 Paul Harland-White Annapolis ‘24 Emily Price Annapolis ‘24 Charmaine D'Souza Annapolis ‘24 Haley Prickett Sante Fe Laszlo J. Boesze Annapolis �67 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Colloquy Description An account of the resource A student-run journal for the Graduate Institute community of St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland. The issues feature essays, art, poetry, interviews, and more. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data pdf Page numeration Number of pages in the original item. 65 pages Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Colloquy, Fall 2024 Description An account of the resource Volume 15 of Colloquy, published in Fall 2024. The theme of the issue is On Being. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bucca (Editor) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025-02 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this publication. Type The nature or genre of the resource text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource pdf Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived English Subject The topic of the resource St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.)--Periodicals Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Colloquy_Fall2024_v10 Graduate Institute https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/6c2d15d5e0b17c58bc1ee854df23780a.pdf ebe6eebcf1354597b636fc2f6781c73c PDF Text Text COLLOQUY �Cover: Strife - Sylvie Bernhardt �Colloquy Issue 16 Spring 2025 On Becoming Editor-in-Chief: Kees Bucca Editorial Board: Lola Bondar Stephen Borsum Cynthia Crane Amelia Taylor Wolfe Gus Kraus Stafford Wood Associate Dean for Graduate Programs: Brendan Boyle Assistant Director for Graduate Student Services: Kashya Boretsky Colloquy The Graduate Institute at St. John’s College 60 College Avenue Annapolis, Maryland 21401 colloquy@sjc.edu �Letter from the Editor �Contents �Poetry Melted Candles I - Amelia Taylor Wolfe oil on canvas-paper 9”x12” 6 �Growing Pains Alexander Simmons Eli, Eli, lama sabachtani? – Matthew 27:46 Spring is a Passion: flowers fracture frost and new life breaks the black earth. Frantic, frenetic, a flinging-forth— boiling clouds out of a clear blue sky, winter’s tabernacle rent by the pouring-out of summer. Stones rolled aside teem with life. Seeds spring forth in their tender glory, shoots set upon gnarled churning roots below craving, searching, desperate for one lone sunbeam. But perhaps the Passion is only a mirage; a shimmering haze above a white-hot desert. A promised renewal scorched in the harsh bright of summer’s sun. And yet, for now, in the tenuous wavering of wild mustard in the breeze and the trickling stream of rainwater rolling down my scalp Hope abides. 7 �Game Theory Aaron Knight Even a minotaur couldn’t make heads or tails of this, Although making sense wouldn’t be too much fuss— It’s what you do with the sense you’ve made: Where it goes, who gets paid. This is the future after all, No one wants mazes—too foreign, too old— Icy alabaster or lacerating stone. The way out’s always through fear, Over cowardice and shame. I know at least that much for sure So why bother with the game? 8 �The Fern László Boesze Springtime. Barren ground. Tiny fern pokes through the soil. Unfurls. Meets the world. - Aaron Knight 9 �My Muse László Boesze I know she exists. When periodically she visits I feel her presence: The air is cleaner, The sky is bluer, The sunshine is more pleasant, The flowers are more fragrant, And I become more sensitive To nature’s many Sounds, Fragrances, The slightest puff of air. I revel in that! I become a different self! If only I could tell Which fragrance and movement of air Is hers… 10 �I thought I had, in thought, imagined love Paul Harland-White I thought I had, in thought, imagined love; There, born of booming thinking - a new couple. I had, hadn’t I? They were made, loving, Lovers summoned, cast in a reader’s whim. I read, guiding a heart’s tale through the dark; I set them t’ward their fated nuptials. I substantiated their dream, part by part; I had loved then, hadn’t I? In thought, they swim. Imprints, static, merely mirrors of mine. Gone in fogy thought, if past tense arrives If love it’s to be, it must survive time. Not loose, losing memory of gesture. Slept, held soft, crumpled in Love and borne in text. Pool-less reflections remembered as rhymes. 11 �The Owl George Kalandadze The hooting owl ne’er scared me, midst the blackness of sylvan night. But so more she had prepared me, veiled lore in sands of time foreseen. -- Eyes of amber immured in light. Wind -- her confidant, in hushed tone, my notice happened to ensnare. She resembled all, yet no one, branches bending, beneath her lun. Yet, misplaced, I wandered still, there. Her head, a cosmic carousel, an omnipotent balance wheel. Each hoot, an echoed hoary bell. Mistral’s replies through bluebells swell, Night hummed, a beehive, -- surreal. That instant, yonder on the limb, sat other owl, ready to speak. The wind, now sacred seraphim, my equal in ancestral dream. In silence, we beheld mystique. 12 �My War Aaron Knight I manage the peace for the Council of War. No, nothing shocks my conscience anymore: A million moldy stacks of hundred-dollar bills, High-minded standards tortured and killed, Daily injections with extracts of pain— I’ve seen it all but I’m not ashamed. All the explosions were just a puppet with a hat Learning to tap dance in the upstairs flat. Medics delivered a magic elixir (Everyone was dying at the time), Still peeking under the covers of fiction, They kept insisting everything was fine. (Neighbors asking questions About trash that festers While just down the road They’re burning the gold.) Maybe now I’m too weak to fight the system. So they’ll come to me; I won’t go to them. My counsel is always to bide your sweet time, Let God the be the one to hear all the crying. Our values are peaceful, our missions are just, We’re a people of love who enforce total trust. 13 �Theater - Aaron Knight 14 �What to Do if You Mixed Up the Clefs George Kalandadze I cried. My mother forced me to go. Music school final exam. I sat on the stairs, face wet, stomachache. The bus driver smoked cigarettes the whole way to the school. I was thinking about the blank canvas in my room, what will it come to be when the time comes? I pictured birds, and cattle, and a blue pond in the middle of a mountainous valley – What will it come to be when the time comes? I was performing three pieces: Chopin’s Mazurka in A minor, Op. 68 No. 2; Mendelssohn’s Song without Words, Op. 19 No. 1; Haydn’s Allegro moderato: 1st movement from Sonata in B minor, Hob. XVI:32. Everybody was there, I didn’t notice any grown-ups only that blonde girl two grades above me, who I never had enough courage to talk to – She was there, everybody was there. I sat down; my book turned to page 37, Mazurka. I begin. Apart from size, the tusks are the parts that give an elephant the look of prehistoric might and power. Yet when my fingers fell on them with a barrage of staccatos, I did not feel any power. I could only wish for an elephant to stampede into the room and take back what was taken from him. From me. Eyes wet. Again. As I was crawling through the final bars of Mazurka somebody in the audience coughed. I coughed up the final half rest. Page 12. Mendelssohn. I knew I had mixed up the clefs. Treble in my left, Bass in my right. I knew it halfway through Mazurka. Music made no sense. I kept going. Scratching my fingernails through the window of music. Hardly music. Noise. Mendelssohn sounded like an elephant when poachers cut its tusks. I did not stop. When I wrapped up, nobody clapped. What do you do if you mix up the clefs? I just kept going – My father died. 15 �The Constant State of Becoming László Boesze I am the result of two becoming one, Yet go back to the beginning of time When from nothing a universe sprang In which I have been at various stages Of “being” and of “becoming”. All that time I have faced the mystery Of life and death and being and becoming. I have been a part of this universe, Whose parts are constantly in motion And at various stages of becoming. Galaxies rotate toward their center Where their black-hole-maw sucks them to their death. They ingest themselves until their meal --They themselves chewed up, tightly compressed --Explodes And particles, dust and gases Fill the space of their former selves To then slowly form stars and solar systems anew That arrange themselves into new galaxies. Constant change, constant becoming, constant motion…. There is no graveyard of the stars, But there is “Birth”, “Life”, “Death”, and “Rebirth”. In this eternal cycle all parts are reassembled anew For nothing gets lost in the universe And nothing exists suspended idly in some corner. This “process of becoming” the ancient Greeks Summed up as --- the “Phoenix”. 16 �Being part of “ALL”, I fall under its law. Being a composite of body and soul, I accept the temporality of my physical self But agonize over the future of my incorporeal soul During my constant state of becoming. NOTE: The celebration of the Spring Equinox --- Easter --- is an excellent example of “becoming” and the concept of “rebirth”. Christianity superimposed its values on the earlier pagan, nature-based celebration of “rebirth”. Bogota Jardin - Aaron Knight 17 �How to Be a Dog George Kalandadze Wag your tail, so hard your body shakes. Chase the ball around until you ache. Let your tongue, flop, in the air. Don’t forget to drool, all over the armchair. Try to break a record, shedding fur. Roll in mud or puddles, whichever you prefer. Chase all the squirrels, until you are lost. Avoid the bathtub, at all costs. Bark loud, don’t hide your voice, at dusk or dawn, the choice is yours. Go through the laundry, make sure it’s clean, and steal a sock or two, unseen. Do tricks for treats and tasty eats. Mark all the tires in the streets. Jump into lakes and dive for rocks, from beaches, bridges, and old docks. But most importantly, be loyal, and treat your owner as the royal. And if you follow this “how to”, you might get lucky, on a barbecue. 18 �Dialogue & Translation Rotting Apples with Bottle and Candles - Amelia Taylor Wolfe oil on canvas-paper 12”x16” 19 �A Dialogue Concerning the Sun’s Nature Stephen Borsum 20 �21 �22 �De Rerum Natura Lucretius Artwork and Passage Selections by Sylvie Bernhardt translations by Anita Kent 1. Harmony - Venus’ Becoming Book 1, lines 21-23 Quae quoniam rerum naturam sola gubernas nec sine te quicquam dias in luminis oras exoritur neque fit laetum neque amabile quicquam… Since then you alone steer the nature of things, and since without you, nothing arises into the bright boundaries of light, nothing is made glad nor lovely… 2. Perspective Book 2, lines 331-332 et tamen est quidam locus altis montibus unde stare videntur et in campis consistere fulgor. And yet, there is a certain place in the high mountains from which they seem to stand still, and in the plains a brightness is at rest. 3. Strife - Plague of Athens Book 6, lines 1250-1251 nec poterat quisquam reperiri, quem neque morbus nec mors nec luctus temptaret tempore tali. Nor is anyone able to be found, whom neither disease nor death nor mourning has tested at such a time. 23 �Harmony - Venus’ Becoming Since then you alone steer the nature of things, and since without you, nothing arises into the bright boundaries of light, nothing is made glad nor lovely… 24 �Perspective And yet, there is a certain place in the high mountains from which they seem to stand still, and in the plains a brightness is at rest. 25 �Essays & Interviews Melted Candles II - Amelia Taylor Wolfe oil on canvas-paper 9”x12” 26 �Right in the Heart The Dialectic Motion of Mencius and Kao Tzu Charles Edward Chapin 27 �28 �29 �30 �31 �32 �33 �34 �35 �- Paul Harland-White 36 �The Story and the Slow Swoon of the Soul Genevieve Fowler 37 �38 �39 �40 �Rain in Washington D.C. - David Cherian 41 �The Dimensions of Knowing Why we act against our best interests Lola Bondar 42 �43 �44 �45 �46 �47 �Rotting Apples I - Amelia Taylor Wolfe oil on canvas-paper 9”x12” Rotting Apples II - Amelia Taylor Wolfe oil on canvas-paper 9”x12” 48 �Fear and Coercion in Leviathan Strangely enduring, strikingly true Lola Bondar 49 �50 �51 �52 �53 �Twist and Flame - Kees Bucca 54 �A Theological Reflection on Becoming Stephen Cunha 55 �56 �57 �58 �McDowell Hall - David Cherian 59 �Meet the Student: Mr Hassan Boulares Shirley Quo 60 �61 �Turtles - Kees Bucca �Thanks to Our Contributors Aaron Knight Santa Fe '27 Low-Res Amelia Taylor Wolfe Annapolis ‘26 In-Person George Kalandadze Annapolis '26 In-Person Charles Edward Chapin Santa Fe '26 Low-Res Shirley Quo Annapolis '25 In-Person Alex Simmons Annapolis '25 In-Person Genevieve Fowler Annapolis '25 Low-Res Lola Bondar Annapolis ‘25 Low-Res Stephen Cunha Annapolis '25 Low-Res Paul Harland-White Annapolis ‘24 In-Person Laszlo J. Boesze Annapolis In-Person Sylvie Berhardt Annapolis In-Person Anita Kent Annapolis ‘26 In-Person Stephen Borsum Annapolis ‘25 In-Person David Cherian Annapolis ‘26 In-Person Colloquy is an academic journal and biannual publication of the Graduate Student Council and St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland, featuring the works of students, tutors, and alumni of the St. John’s Graduate Institute. The journal is free of charge for members of the St. John's community. To contribute to Colloquy to ensure its availability into the future, please reach out to the Graduate Institute office at kashya.boretsky@sjc.edu, the Colloquy Editorial Board at colloquy@sjc.edu, or visit https://www.sjc.edu/giving/how-to-give. The views and opinions expressed in the journal do not necessarily reflect those of St. John’s College, the Graduate Student Council, or Colloquy. Printed with Cardo font �Colloquy Issue XVI SPRING 2025 Nec poterat quisquam reperiri, quem neque morbus nec mors nec luctus temptaret tempore tali. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Colloquy Description An account of the resource A student-run journal for the Graduate Institute community of St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland. The issues feature essays, art, poetry, interviews, and more. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data pdf Page numeration Number of pages in the original item. 64 pages Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Colloquy, Spring 2025 Description An account of the resource Volume 16 of Colloquy, published in Spring 2025. The theme of the issue is On Becoming. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bucca, Kees (Editor-in-Chief) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this publication. Type The nature or genre of the resource text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource pdf Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived English Subject The topic of the resource St. John's College (Annapolis, Md.)--Periodicals Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Colloquy_Spring2025 Graduate Institute https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/a70c2b1726ea2584e7fe8c4c4b26c1fb.jpg 6a2d8e926e7e1f3e62946e7002fcb432 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Image Collection—Annapolis Description An account of the resource <p>The Greenfield Library Image Collection houses over 5,000 photographs, postcards, drawings, and other graphic materials.  The images in the collection document the history, academic, and community life of St. John’s College. </p> To learn more about the Greenfield Library's archives use policy or to obtain high-resolution images, please see the <strong><a title="Image Collection Use Policy" href="http://www.sjc.edu/academic-programs/libraries/greenfield-library/policies/#photographicarchivepolicy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Library’s Image Collection Use Policy</a></strong>.<br /><br />Click on <strong><a title="Photographic Archives" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=7">Items in the Image Collection—Annapolis Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context imagecollectionannapolis Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 20.5 x 25.5 cm. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data photograph Resolution Resolution of the image in dpi. 600 dpi Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SJC-P-2186 Title A name given to the resource Children Standing inside of the Liberty Tree, St. John's College, Annapolis, Maryland Description An account of the resource 1 photographic print : b&w Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Buffham, R. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1907 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this photograph. Type The nature or genre of the resource still image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg Liberty tree https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/5d8cd7cb0d03f42b1cb34aebfc4b0050.jpg b71621c583e1c4528d0e165a28509d68 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Image Collection—Annapolis Description An account of the resource <p>The Greenfield Library Image Collection houses over 5,000 photographs, postcards, drawings, and other graphic materials.  The images in the collection document the history, academic, and community life of St. John’s College. </p> To learn more about the Greenfield Library's archives use policy or to obtain high-resolution images, please see the <strong><a title="Image Collection Use Policy" href="http://www.sjc.edu/academic-programs/libraries/greenfield-library/policies/#photographicarchivepolicy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Library’s Image Collection Use Policy</a></strong>.<br /><br />Click on <strong><a title="Photographic Archives" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=7">Items in the Image Collection—Annapolis Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context imagecollectionannapolis Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 9 x 13.5 cm. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Photograph Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SJC-P-1851 Title A name given to the resource Portrait of Armine Way Smith in Military Uniform Description An account of the resource 1 photographic print : b&w Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1905 [circa] Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Buffham, R. Subject The topic of the resource Smith, Armine Way Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Type The nature or genre of the resource Still Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this photograph. Alumni https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/0a2f04bee7fb1b07b87fcc25d2359b10.jpg 84dc3f2ad6a90cc545ec1139d83a5973 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Image Collection—Annapolis Description An account of the resource <p>The Greenfield Library Image Collection houses over 5,000 photographs, postcards, drawings, and other graphic materials.  The images in the collection document the history, academic, and community life of St. John’s College. </p> To learn more about the Greenfield Library's archives use policy or to obtain high-resolution images, please see the <strong><a title="Image Collection Use Policy" href="http://www.sjc.edu/academic-programs/libraries/greenfield-library/policies/#photographicarchivepolicy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Library’s Image Collection Use Policy</a></strong>.<br /><br />Click on <strong><a title="Photographic Archives" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=7">Items in the Image Collection—Annapolis Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context imagecollectionannapolis Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 9 x 13.5 cm. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Photograph Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SJC-P-1852 Title A name given to the resource Portrait of John T. Harrison and A. Lawrence Seeligmann, 1904 Tennis Champions, with Tennis Racquets Description An account of the resource 1 photographic print : b&w Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1903 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Buffham, R. Subject The topic of the resource Harrison, John T. Seelingmann, A. Lawrence Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Type The nature or genre of the resource Still Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this photograph. Alumni https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/1a0298b7bec47168be037dab7975f9de.jpg 2bcc5faa730be4363de0836db6fc6d06 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Image Collection—Annapolis Description An account of the resource <p>The Greenfield Library Image Collection houses over 5,000 photographs, postcards, drawings, and other graphic materials.  The images in the collection document the history, academic, and community life of St. John’s College. </p> To learn more about the Greenfield Library's archives use policy or to obtain high-resolution images, please see the <strong><a title="Image Collection Use Policy" href="http://www.sjc.edu/academic-programs/libraries/greenfield-library/policies/#photographicarchivepolicy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Library’s Image Collection Use Policy</a></strong>.<br /><br />Click on <strong><a title="Photographic Archives" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=7">Items in the Image Collection—Annapolis Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context imagecollectionannapolis Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 25.5 x 20.5 cm. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Photograph Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SJC-P-2130 Title A name given to the resource Group Portrait of the St. John's College Football Team, behind McDowell Hall, Annapolis, Maryland Description An account of the resource 1 photographic print : b&w Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Buffham, R. Subject The topic of the resource Group Portraits Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Type The nature or genre of the resource Still image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this photograph. https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/d2c129929287c47de2b17535ef58a232.pdf 184fd7e3c2f4e352f09b87cfe585ff11 PDF Text Text �6 45 p m Small chorus 8 00 p •. m N New 'I'es Class D 21) The Nevi Testament Class which I have conducted for many years on Tues on will start in shall Nov at 8 in McDowell 2L Paul 1 s J, Winfree Srni th 4 . 30 p m $ and Av o -J Talk on Birth Con trol-~L, C ~ Smi tb In the Conversation Room Sara Marcy to 107 Schnudt te Pac ~ 301 Paca rkhal to 301 Paca Sheets Due 8 15 p e FRIDAY The Difference ial COLLEGIAN emen t) S A Alison· Eighty, Mark Foolher, Jeff Fmne Lynn Gumdrop Terry Cotta, John Liddy, Mark Wheelg Chris Footman, Ken Rose, Jeff Hardy Shorn Bull (Iditor), Patt{ llies Steep Headwards, Amy Coughrnary Windy Tribulski Danny George, Chuckles Allen and me Cover art Chris Witmer �4 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ FROM THE GARBAGE shions A~ 'MPORT l'ASHION BOUTIQUE 60 WEST STREET. ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND alu::".inum cans and papers Cnewspape and other unscrunched paper), the~ t~ash cans masqueradi~g as re~Yclin bins on the back landing of first f Cam1)bell and in the basement of' ,... . ~ '"al'll next to the coke rriach1nAs. 'I'he.se b arP wP1: m·irkPn. '1'1-w "n,· 1rl -;nfJ' r."r is on Spa Ro01.'.1, .'-3..Ild 't.Je wjlJ have to J<;Clj transpor: the rec.11 clables out tru:-re If anyo~~ is irterested in ~elping ; ca~ry nut this project, pleasP conta Anita Ross (~arhage archo11 ) Tina Rhea ?«- (JZU'" - For ~hose who would like to recycl Jndia tJnhf ~dcM«'- cJel/0%~ In support of Mr. Commencement Speaker COMMI~: dJt n.t C:X. 70, at ex. ?9 <.JY' ~/I~ o-hJr"t:.- Notices from the Assistant Deans No more requests to move off campus will be considered until December 1. The Assistant Deans' bulletin board (outside the Assistant Deans' Off ice) carries announcements of many area lectures, concerts, plays and seminars . The Kj ng Wil ;_iam Players wi1 J be _pre senting Sameel E::ckett 1 .::; Endgame as spring dwarf. Those interei3ted in :inp; for any one of the four pA.rts two major two mino.:-· may procure a copy at the bookstore @L 95. I will Ge lee t my actors sometime immediately before Christmas. I will expect those chosen to become largely familiar 1'1fi th their roles by the time of our returh. Serious rehearsalu will commence at once Kevin McKee Director ~e, {/J&' Md, ~ t'h& h</EI MfX;P/,tk v,1CL cf slereo ~~~C. The entry for me in the college directory is wrong. My address and phone number: David Guasp21.ri 18 Cathedral St. 263-6271 304 Legion Avenue Annapolis. Md. 21401 Phones 267-9001 Annapolis 269-6786 Baltimo<e 261- 1066 Washington is a tutor at St John's Santa Fe who has given two this campus in the past The first, the Homecoming freshman year, was entitled re ou r n and the Liberal Arts" (later ~din "The College") .. The second, :~emester, was O!l Bacon, and t;led "The Scientific Revolution Will Truce Place " Those of us who ~ere the Santa Fe cam_tJus last year rrne:;ht . seen the lecture ou Marx he gave : spring I have a copy of.each of first two, should anyone wish to rebi his memory as to th0ir quality. much ror who he is as seen from the rmal .Lectures he ha0 g.iven .. r .. Simpson gave the Corrirr~encement dress last ,year in Santa Fe. The porter''. pr~nted som: _exc~~l-' ;,s. of it their May issue Tnis was Five positions Concerning St. John's llege 11 which he saw as con.:-;equc:nces J the fundamental principles of St namely "dialectical rea0on 11 a;;,_; the conversation su_t.Jpo0ed to take lace in seminar), and che 11 libe-ral ind " described in the "Reporter" as ''that spectrum of powers ... througn which the authors of the Gredt Books :have worked to transform the world .. " MrQ Simpson then proceeded to the five propositions, and a di2cussion of e~ch. The pro poGi tions vver1? 1) "tlte principles which (~rere,.ize St .. John's are .:to:.: specific la ed~cation; he~ce the lrim;try commi tmer. . t ') f the College is to a mucn broader community of the li.ue1·al mi:1d, Vlfhich ru.n..s through society, anei tr1r0ughou L history." :2. J "With.LE this -1 arger community of thf~ liberal mlrnl, S:; John 1 .s ha.':. a specific and lA.nique role." 3.) "The St. Ji)lm b progr2.ID is inherently dependent upon a continuing proceas of research into ~he l~beral. arts., 11 L+.) "St.. John'.:; i:.3 i11herenlly not itoolated, tut has by lt:::c very definition a ram.::_fy i Lg _Lntere0t and jnv0lvement i.a t.te \;orld" :;... ) ".St .. John'.:; cannot re:st contc:::it to be economically or bOCl~lly iGolated or exclu.sive .. 11 The explanations would ~ake up too much space to be printed here ho~ever, I have a copy of this "Reporter" should anyone wish to read them Subjectively, I think both lectures, and the address, that I saw excellent, and that the last was exactly what a commencement address should be. But you should read these for yc~r~elves. I was also privileged.to be in an outstanding jr .. French tutorial le,,d by this man, but ;you would have no means to determine his qualities through that except through relicince on my opinion. so, I u.rge you to read what I have mentior.1.ed I have of this man 1 s work, or at least to talk to those who have seen his lectures, that you might know for yoursel v ,~s bow good he would be as our graduation speaker.. Or speak to me, if you don't mind the zeal of something of a missionary. Kris Shapar HELP WANTED! Addressers W;mted Imediately! Work at home - no experience necessary - exce~lent p::i.y.. Write: American Service, 8350 Park Lane, Suite 269, Dallas, Texas 75231 �6 On Her Washington Performance (to Patti Smith) her hands were whips of reed that flickered against the cage of light .sound words she had built with those, her hands. my hands were stones and sticks that beat upon the stage. i, a drum, echoed her movements, my hands. her voice was strong and cracked like pottery by the flame, the flame that grew, that intensified in, her voice. my voice was silent, a 0nake's tongue to match my body that could not be still; shedding its skin of inhibition, my voice. her eyes burned with the light, the knowledge that she burned me, blinded me, even as the stage lights did. even as the stage lights did. Lynn Gumert DLI ELECTID 7 Musty Peanuts Set Off a Heretic ONCE AGAIN (sigh) the MOVIE OF THE Viridiana. WEEK~!!! Directed by Luis Bu~uel Luis Bu~uel makes outrageous movies, horrible, painfully funny movies.. He makes you unsure about the person sitting next to you in the.theatre .. This one is really black--not depressing or anything--but its mockery is relentles Viridiana is a pure, high-minded youn girl who's sure she knows the differe between right and wrong. She comes t live with her uncle, and, by from him her forgiveness and underst ing for his sins, drives him to commi suicide. Then she decides to be real Christian, invites a bunch of poor people into the house~ They, alas, have no illusions about her "generousi ty" and all hell breaks loose .. Whether one admires his work or not, Billl'uel is one skilfull director. His movies are always so well put-together thought-out He is a master of deception practicing his trade in a world made which only he knows the truth of and you just can't count on anything at all quick or dead.. A world full of terrorists and the bizarre imaginings of the silent majority one of his best and a become an annual We've always known what kind of tion he has yours eideticallY Caroline Your turn next week, Mr Gushue. I ate a bag of musty peanuts the other day time had violated many of their shells some were nearly perfect as vitamins, but not quite others were pitifully gnarled dicotyledons, protein mummies I savored the flavors of their various stages of decomposition wondering if the Lord shares these sensations as He bites into the souls of children and mothers on several five-foot shelves in a hospital basement where they keep the pink pickles, two heads were deader on one did the Holy One smile on that day like I did · when I ate that cooked egg with two yolks hey, were any of these unfortunates baptised like me, I once refused a dish of cows' brains my mother's brain must have been tastier she was forty and the mother of five when I look at night sky I see a black tongue flecked with salt and realize that space is the clear saliva of Almighty God and in the quiet of the evening I am sometimes smothered by a divine pa:pilla a plumber's plunger over a shit hole give me a screw and wrench for I am a nut and dolt and the Creator is no longer keen on that old gift free will I off er you my only sun as a sleeping pill Kevin McKee Down you set the pane, and then you wait. Like light from a dim~nished star, the sounding of t:r·ees acroas the street begins to reach you. You stab the paper in your lap, you hope for air. Visitors to fan the doors, to break t::ie aea t like a p·u.zzle on the ceiling., Out of the dark a flag capering burning its mast Love is coming, you know it a cross-draft somewhere in the night Caroline Allen �8 IN SUPPORT OF STUCK It tak:es rudimentary math skills, dependability, a modicum of availability and legible ha1:dwriting -co be a good F0lity Treasurer. Liz has a calculator in cace her rudimentary math skills fail.. She does have legible handwritir;g.. .From living on the same hall last year and from conversations with her friendG I hu.ve botl~ seen and heard that she is dependable which should move her to make herself available for whatevf'r Polity duties she is responsible@ So she's qualified .. But thP really nice thing;::: about Li_z are personal .. She's nice. Aimiable A Gerber-baby from Minnesota. And she cares about the Delegate Council and th2 students it represents. She has proven herself an active and conscientou0 dorm delegate If she wants the office of Treasurer, I feel confident she will successfully fill it. The Delegate Council can do good things if good people work hard on it. If you believe that, you may want Liz Stuck as Polity Treasurer. signed and submitted with glee This is for those of you who don t Liz Stuck. This past semester she has ueen very active in her role as a do~m delegate her attendence record far e eels that of any other What's more he is very friendly gets along we11 with others, and attends most of our college functions In sum, she has all the qualifications to be a Polity Officer I was pleabed to hear that 3 decided to run for Polity Treasurer. I'm sure that Liz will continue tu be very welcome member fo the D.C Bruce Ku.Lman I 1 m ru.nning for Treasurer for 0evero..1 reasons.. I was elected HumJJhreyo Dorm Delega :.e at the beginning of the year, and I've .liked being a _l.Jart of tlie government I'minterested in taking on the different res~onsibilities that a Treasurer has, and being more involved in the financiol 1Jart of the government I also don't wetnt to 0ee :f.iO;._;;ition.s take by people not really intereste: who a:r running only be<..:au::;e no one else w1-ll. Liz Stuck by Cathy Sims 1 , Karen Anderson, announce my candi- daCY for the office of Polity President. In order that I not become just anoth~r name on the ballot, let me take this opportunity to let you know what your decision to vote for me 'will mean .. The De2-egate Cou.ncil is the government of the Student Polity. It forms, funds, and oversees committees and clubs that do everything from recommending changes in the program to throwing parties. The concerns of the Delegate Council comprise the concerns of the entire college community. The president of this governing body should rossess a knowledge of its functions and responsibilities and [3honl d be ab le to to devote time and effort to his or her office. Above all, the president of the Deleate Council should br:; willing to listen. I bPlieve that I am equal to thi:::.-; t-3.Sk. l'rn a senior who has served on the Council ci:'lce the beginning of my Sop~omore year: two terms off-cam~us represe11tative and one term as Polity secretary. I ha'1e al way.q tr .ied to give matter::o of CounciJ ::~erious tho~ght a."ld a4=i ':''.1tio~1. I am not afraid o'~ i:;hange, and you can re~::;t assured that I speak as judiciously as I listen. What would voting for me mean'? It would mean that you rec ogniz.e the need energetic, experienced RICK CAMPBELL FOR POLI'r'.f PRESIDENT I realize that being on1y a sophomore may be to some a liability. But I have attended four other coJ leges ranging :> a small mid-western presbyterian Coll~ t~ a large Pastern Catholic University have ~lso spent three years in the These experiences hove ;mt me in con vi~_ th various types of' ad mini strati on:> dictatorial to chaotic. I now hold toe position of Chairman of the s~hool car am deeply concerned with education a feel that at St. John's we have the be available in the country That'0 not say it's perfect. That's where I come trying to make the best ideal. My ma.i concern is to increase the feedback fr the students to the adwinistration, pecially in the tenure procedure. Thank you, · Rick Campbel i-1~ SWf ~-1~ · · &~ bJ~1 Skir~, ilds, w Dr~.u. 9 My dear Polity, This is just a brief word in favor of Karen M. Anderson for Polity president. In my taree weeks as a delegate, I have personally seen her evidence good judgment, wit, etc. As secretary, she has managed to traLsf orm the mundane and exotic action of D.C. meetings into humor,~us (as 'vell as inf orma ti ve) minu to.,C.. And, perhaps rnost importantly, .she has proven to be genuinely -.:_n ter-ested in stu~ent problems and the role ths D.C. can take in .c::;cilving thcr:1. She 1:.s..::; been behind o.c ti on ao ir:1portan t as CT:O'Jes to re-ins ta tr::- ~he l.Jng ~. .JP.ekend and lengthen Spring Bre:ik, to make stuJents ~are aware of just what goe~ cnto their t · an.s,':c ·Lpts, and ar; t j or.a as tr:i vial (1~u~ :;rnportant) as the in.sto.llation of a e/:'J..roage can in tne HelJori parku1g lot,. Sbf! war-:> also t~e prime D.C. su:rporter o.f thE ne»v King Willi::i.m ?layer.':> chsrter, '-!nd sc you ca:-1 ~hank M.ias Ar der3on (sort of) for the fine qu~li t.y rla,y2 to be presented t~is year. ln sh~rt, Miss Andere on 1 s ct~Jl ::_ien t pen>c~. . ci.li ty cuupled 11.;i th hr>r irnpecc01ble r1:-•cor·ci nake hsr the n3tural ch0ice for yau~ president. 1 Sinc2re~-Y, Jim White KAREN ANDERSON: POLITY PRESIDENT The answer to one question shou~d decide the election of Polity Hresident: who is the most responsible! The answer is Karen Anderson. Md.ss Anderson is the candidate with demonstrated qualifications; she has been an active and productive member of the Polity for three years, serving two terms as off-campus delegate and one term as Polity secretary@ In a college that is devided into scores of cliques and couples Miss Anderson stands apart and above She is not another "good ol' boy" candidate --an anomaly in recent Polity elections. Her manner is quiet but forceful. Whether it 1 s cooling a heat9d D.C •. meeting, expressing her opinion, or reading the original in Latin, Miss Anderson speaks good sense. John Lippman �4 15 the D C the 10th present White Ba.lckom, s~huler Stuck Shaapar Whalen Nau Anderson, Roach, Stonesifer to be used Miss Shapa.r requested for "Senior Activities" .. She was Miss Shapar the money, 10-0-1 ab.staining .. Mr. Werner has located a cassette deck for $160 It would be used for waltz parties coffee-houses etc decided to it by a vote of 10-,1-0 Whalen abstaining. Next we voted on the purchase of five cassettes Vote unanimous Miss Balckom reported that Miss Sims wanted towards the purchase of a refrigerator for cam~bell We resolved to postpone the matter so that delegates could look at the refrie;erator and decide whether it wa worth it The meeting ended with Mr Nau repaying his $100 loan 0 D.C. Meeting w/ Administration of Nov. 2 present; Balckom, Stonesifer, Jackins, Anderson, Leonard williamson, Sparrow Stuck, Braun, Newlin Cos0, Kolman In case anyone was wondering all fire alarms are now in working order Mr. Williamson announced that fire dri drills are planned for the near future Ther will be a dorm drill and a clas0room drill Dates have not yer been set. Delegates are asked to appoint fire marshalls if they have not already done so 1 and to give the names of the fire marshalls to the Assistant Deans ab • soon as possible. The Assistant Deans remind students that permission must be obtained from them for parties not held in dorms and for extens:.tons on all parties. Also, when a party is held in the Coffee Shop the doors must be kept ciosed Lastly, the Administration thanked the out-going D.C. Officers for their co-operation. Karen Anderson remember when your fei:;t cannot move the last gaJTic the ff made the first and of St John ,s soccer career 0oirehow joyous tid-bit of j news ed the pr2~s 18st week Our* 11 as our congr~tulations are Ti,Jen t y~ ~love .STANDINGS~ T Hustlers Druids Guardians SPORTS Bryce ,Jacobse11 WOMEN S SFORTS tlns It was a good season It was the last soccer game of the se son.. The Amazons were playing the D C. (a team with a dubious record) and nob expected much f.com this game But to everyone's surprise and delight, the 11 roared".. 'The D C 's really worked well together keeping the Amazon goalie Miss Buck busy as well as def ending their o goalie with drive and d2termination~ D C. s also had a full full roster wit pt:ople ready to play and win. The 11 were playing a wo-"man st.art .. In the first qua~ter there was a kick awarded the Amazons and Miso 3ma.sned the ball through the goal [JOS t. much to Miss Chimiel 's (and the rest tne D C 's) chagrin. That penalty kick was t.he only score fur the \Nrwle game For the next three qua ters the team•3 and :tought; to no 8-Vail. A d.;terrnined ef fo~t for the end of the 5easoc bystanders were fun too! The final standings 1tJt:r2 as fcllm-JS won tied lost l 1 Amazons i 2 1 Maenads 6 6 2 1 Nymphs l l D.C. s 7 Congratulaticns Ladies!! On U1e Badinin tion scene, the birdie ' flying back across those nets and so f Maenads have won 2 games, Lne Amazons 2, the D C. 's have lost l and the Nytn have won 1 Now, are you totally cofL There are Bad.min ton gc..mes today S1 the 5th., All four teruns are E;chedule ~5 0 0 _3 3 1 0 4 7 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 6 MEN by Stephanie Heineke L l thre? e- -:;ki dou your :o;t. Greenwaves 2 2 2 J..llstead T'HIS doubl·2.s G':'.M MACHINf t 21 l+ 10 2 2 2 8 3 3 0 ./ 9 �tted In tradition dates in remember the March 20 when the ark and our 12 landed at St after out SPIRIT Some may not k1101A1 it is a St John's School to in This also as iu:mistice the end of the great in which the number of St Johnnies died for their coun A founder of the \pfOU1d anuss at least to ue words school seem o be a most � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Collegian Description An account of the resource The Collegian began as a student newspaper; became a college community literary publication in 1952 and continued until 1969; became a student newspaper again in 1969; discontinued publication from 1980 until 1989 when it again became a student literary publication.<br /><br />Click on <a title="The Collegian" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=26">Items in The Collegian Collection</a> to view and sort all items in the collection. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Page numeration Number of pages in the original item. 12 pages Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data paper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context The Collegian 5 November 1978 Title A name given to the resource The Collegian, November 05, 1978 Description An account of the resource Number 277 of The Collegian. Published on November 5, 1978. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bull, Shorn (Iditor) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1978-11-05 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this publication. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource pdf Student publication https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/6153a94099399c04243e0852a11b1f41.mp3 458b6f190232ae9ff3036ce7c7f5a4f4 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Description An account of the resource Items in this collection are part of a series of lectures given every year at St. John's College. During the Fall and Spring semesters, lectures are given on Friday nights. Items include audio and video recordings and typescripts.<br /><br />For more information, and a schedule of upcoming lectures, please visit the <strong><a href="http://www.sjc.edu/programs-and-events/annapolis/formal-lecture-series/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">St. John's College website</a></strong>.  <br /><br />Click on <strong><a title="Formal Lecture Series" href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=5&amp;sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&amp;sort_dir=d">Items in the St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.<br /><br />A growing number of lecture recordings are also available on the St. John's College (Annapolis) Lectures podcast. Visit <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/st-johns-college-annapolis-lectures/id1695157772">Apple Podcasts</a> or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6GDsIRqC8SWZ28AY72BsYM?si=f2ecfa9e247a456f" title="Spotify">Spotify</a> to listen and subscribe. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Title A name given to the resource St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context formallectureseriesannapolis Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 00:42:47 Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data wav Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Burger, Ronna, 1947- Title A name given to the resource In the wilderness : Moses as founder and lawgiver Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2013-10-18 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource mp3 Description An account of the resource Audio recording of a lecture delivered on October 18, 2013 by Ronna Burger as part of the Formal Lecture Series. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource A signed permission form has been received stating, "I hereby grant St. John's College permission to: Make an audio recording of my lecture, and retain copies for circulation and archival preservation in the St. John's College Greenfield Library. Make an audio recording of my lecture available online. Make a typescript copy of my lecture available for circulation and archival preservation in the St. John's College Greenfield Library." Type The nature or genre of the resource sound Subject The topic of the resource Moses (Biblical leader) Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Bib # 81124 Friday night lecture https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/a4ee17f52ec68e317f0bbe241417406d.mp3 fc3caf8135e19dc97267850b39c6ceaa Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource St. John's College Lecture Recordings—Santa Fe Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Meem Library Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Santa Fe, NM Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data CD Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 01:02:53 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Divine plan and human agency : the story of Joseph Description An account of the resource Audio recording of a lecture given on August 29, 2014 by Ronna Burger as part of the Dean's Lecture and Concert Series. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Burger, Ronna, 1947- Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Santa Fe, NM Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2014-08-29 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Meem Library has been given permission to make this item available online. Type The nature or genre of the resource sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource mp3 Subject The topic of the resource Bible. Genesis Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 20014170 Friday night lecture https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/043ca474ab123a106b9b22d5e5460e90.mp3 a54cd1121f8a3b02e180e5f9b7a597df Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Description An account of the resource Items in this collection are part of a series of lectures given every year at St. John's College. During the Fall and Spring semesters, lectures are given on Friday nights. Items include audio and video recordings and typescripts.<br /><br />For more information, and a schedule of upcoming lectures, please visit the <strong><a href="http://www.sjc.edu/programs-and-events/annapolis/formal-lecture-series/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">St. John's College website</a></strong>.  <br /><br />Click on <strong><a title="Formal Lecture Series" href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=5&amp;sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&amp;sort_dir=d">Items in the St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.<br /><br />A growing number of lecture recordings are also available on the St. John's College (Annapolis) Lectures podcast. Visit <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/st-johns-college-annapolis-lectures/id1695157772">Apple Podcasts</a> or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6GDsIRqC8SWZ28AY72BsYM?si=f2ecfa9e247a456f" title="Spotify">Spotify</a> to listen and subscribe. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Title A name given to the resource St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context formallectureseriesannapolis Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data wav Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 01:10:07 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Jerusalem and Athens: The Family Drama in the Bible and Greek Thought Description An account of the resource Audio recording of a lecture delivered by Ronna Burger, Professor of Philosophy at Tulane University, on November 8, 2019 as part of the Formal Lecture Series. Burger describes her lecture topic as follows: "The family is a central concern for the Bible as well as for Greek poetry and philosophy. But there seems to be an important difference in the problem on which each tradition focuses. The dominant theme of the Book of Genesis is the rivalry of brothers (or sisters)—from Cain's fratricide to the attempted fratricide by Joseph's brothers. In Greek thought, on the other hand, the dominant theme is the “Oedipal” relationship of the son to the father (and mother)—from Hesiod's Theogony to Aristophanes' Clouds, Plato's Euthyphro and the tyrannical soul in Book IX of the Republic, with its allusion to Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus. What is the significance of these differing perspectives on the principal problem of the family? Does the contrast shed light on the larger issue of Jerusalem and Athens?" Burger is introduced by Tutor Jason Tipton. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Burger, Ronna, 1947- Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2019-11-08 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource A signed permission form has been received stating, "I hereby grant St. John's College permission to make an audio recording of my lecture, and retain copies for circulation and archival preservation at the St. John's College Greenfield Library and to make an audio recording of my lecture available online." Type The nature or genre of the resource sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource mp3 Subject The topic of the resource Dysfunctional families in the Bible Philosophy, Ancient Poetry, Ancient Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Burger_Ronna_2019-11-08 Friday night lecture https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/2ae25be35ec39a393e1c1600f6096afb.mp3 a1c522922e7820d1cce6f2f91b178018 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource St. John's College Lecture Recordings—Santa Fe Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Meem Library Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Santa Fe, NM Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data m4a Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 01:08:26 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Man, Woman, and the Wholeness of the Human: A Biblical and Platonic Account Description An account of the resource Audio recording of a lecture given by Ronna Burger on October 6, 2023 as part of the Dean's Lecture & Concert Series. The Dean's Office has provided this description of the event: “And God created Adam in His own image . . . male and female created He them.” The primordial, androgynous human in Genesis 1 is subsequently divided into two partial beings, man and woman; their punishment for violating the first divine prohibition explains the reality of life as we know it. This biblical narrative has a remarkable resonance with a Platonic account—Aristophanes’ speech on eros in the Symposium: each of the original, whole humans who rebel against the gods is split by a divine punishment into two partial beings, always longing for their missing half. What can we learn, from these parallel texts, about the understanding of the human condition in the two roots of the West, Jerusalem and Athens?" Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Burger, Ronna, 1947- Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Santa Fe, NM Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2023-10-06 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Meem Library has been given permission to make this item available online. Type The nature or genre of the resource sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource mp3 Subject The topic of the resource Bible. Genesis Plato. Symposium Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SF_BurgerR_Man_Woman_and_the_Wholeness_of_the_Human_2023-10-06 Friday night lecture https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/cc818b4a4f4a51072a513bb85b95412f.mp3 c74d3d9ac94e29d052c1b33c52372357 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Description An account of the resource Items in this collection are part of a series of lectures given every year at St. John's College. During the Fall and Spring semesters, lectures are given on Friday nights. Items include audio and video recordings and typescripts.<br /><br />For more information, and a schedule of upcoming lectures, please visit the <strong><a href="http://www.sjc.edu/programs-and-events/annapolis/formal-lecture-series/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">St. John's College website</a></strong>.  <br /><br />Click on <strong><a title="Formal Lecture Series" href="https://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=5&amp;sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&amp;sort_dir=d">Items in the St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.<br /><br />A growing number of lecture recordings are also available on the St. John's College (Annapolis) Lectures podcast. Visit <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/st-johns-college-annapolis-lectures/id1695157772">Apple Podcasts</a> or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6GDsIRqC8SWZ28AY72BsYM?si=f2ecfa9e247a456f" title="Spotify">Spotify</a> to listen and subscribe. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Title A name given to the resource St. John's College Formal Lecture Series—Annapolis Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context formallectureseriesannapolis Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Does a Single Photon Exist? Description An account of the resource Audio recording of a lecture delivered on March 24, 2017 by Chester Burke as part of the Formal Lecture Series. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Burke, Chester Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-03-24 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource A signed permission form has been received stating, "I hereby grant St. John's College permission: To make an audio recording of my lecture, and retain copies for circulation and archival preservation in the St. John's College Greenfield Library. To make an audio recording of my lecture available on the St. John's College web site. Make typescript copies of my lecture available for circulation and archival preservation at the St. John's College Greenfield Library." Type The nature or genre of the resource sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource mp3 Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Burke_Chester_2017-03-24 Friday night lecture Tutors