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| Creativity Quote from Jon Winokur Image Source: Flickr |
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Sunday, October 30, 2016
Wikipedia Trail: From Ravana to Constructivism
Page 1- Ravana
I wanted to learn a little more about Ravana because I found his character to be so interesting. He was an unusually powerful ruler who really gave Rama a run for his money. What I found to be really interesting was that Ravana was actually a follower of Shiva. I wish they had explored that a little more in the Ramayana... I think that it would be really interesting to explore how the different gods interacted between the forces of "good" and "evil" as they existed within the Ramayana universe.
Page 2- Political Science
I clicked on to this link because, as a student of political science, I was wondering what Wikipedia would have to say about the discipline. What I found most interesting was that the article talked about how, even though philosophers like Aristotle have been considering questions of political theory for millennia, it is only recently that political science has emerged as a unique and independent field of study.
Page 3- Moscow
I clicked on this link because I've fascinated by the metropolises of non-Western countries because they are usually a unique blend of modern and traditional architecture; Moscow is no different. I didn't realize how expansive Moscow is... as the cultural capital of Russia, I should have assumed that it would as big as it is, but when I saw the pictures of it, I gained a new appreciation for the city's magnitude! Fun Fact: The Russian Prime Minister actually lives in a building known as The White House
Page 4- Constructivism (art)
This was an artistic style introduced to Russia in the earliest 20th Century that was primarily focused on creating art with a social purpose. It was particularly popular in the larger cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg as those were place where buildings could serve both an aesthetic and utilitarian purpose comfortably. This particular artistic style was represented in a large number of mediums from architecture to music.
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| Zuev Worker's Club (in the Constructivist style) Source: Wikipedia |
Saturday, October 29, 2016
Famous Last Words: Routine
Sometimes I think that the entirety of my week can happen in a blink. I wake up Monday morning, drive to school, and suddenly it's Friday afternoon and I'm just finishing work and heading home to start what I can only hope is a relaxing weekend. My relaxing weekends seem to take on a routine as well... sleep through Friday night, go to Grey Owl on Saturday to work for six to eight hours on homework and Student Government stuff, then go to campus on Sunday for Congressional committee meetings and more work. I'm not saying that this is a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination... I absolutely love having a routine and following it. But this weekend, I made a concerted effort to branch out a bit and do a few things differently. I went to a party on Friday night, and despite the feeling that my social anxiety was going to kick in and keep me from enjoying myself, I was able to go and enjoy my friend and mentor's twenty-first. Tonight, I took the initiative to get a few people together for a night of Halloween-themed fun and I'm pretty excited. I love how my week goes and I love how my weekends have been going, but I am really excited to change up my routine a little bit. Variety is the spice of life, right? It is during times like these that I'm also thankful for friends that realise that, sometimes, I get a little overwhelmed in social situations and are willing to help make me feel comfortable. I really am blessed with some of the best people around. Also, my week was just made my someone walking into Grey Owl with a "Make America Nasty Again" hat so that we as also pretty wonderful.
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| The "Nasty Women" Looking Regal and Powerful Source: Wikipedia |
Tech Tip: Embedded Tweet
Head to the sark to see these cool cats who just advanced to round 2 pic.twitter.com/nlAe3csFF2— SGA (@OU_SGA) October 26, 2016
Tech Tip: Canvas Calendar
I've actually been using this tool all semester and have found it to be incredibly helpful! Unfortunately, not too many professors put their entire class schedule online (thanks Laura!) which makes it a little difficult to rely on it in whole. However, it is certainly an effective organizational strategy! Below is a screenshot of my Google Calendar for this last week with the integrated calendar.
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| Screenshot from My Personal Google Calendar |
Tech Tip: Canvas Profile
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| Screenshot of my Canvas Profile Source: Canvas |
Tech Tip: Canvas Notifications
I absolutely love the notification system that Canvas has. I am a frequent user of my OU e-mail due to the amount of extracurricular organizations that I'm involved in, and receiving notifications there is really nice. However, I do wonder why it takes so long for notifications to appear, especially after I submit a quiz to be graded. I usually have to wait at least 30 minutes to get a notification from Canvas telling me that something has been graded. Other than that, I'm grateful for it!
Portfolio Directory
- In Which Ravana Marries Rama- This story explores what might have happened if Ravana had decided to kidnap Rama instead of Sita. I found the story's lack of queer representation to be disappointing, so I decided to make a queer-focused story of my own.
- Battle of the Brothers- This story explores what might have happened if Arjuna and Karna had chosen to fight one-on-one instead of starting an entire war to settle their differences.
- Brahma Gets Bored- This story explores what might have happened if Brahma expanded the time loop in Shabari's residence in order to challenge Rama's reliance on celestial weapons.
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Reading Notes: Paley's "Sita Sings the Blues", Part B
Bibliography: Nina Paley's "Sita Sings the Blues"
Most of my stylistic comments from the video can be
found here, but in terms of story-telling, there really wasn’t anything in the
second part of this video that I haven’t found in other versions of the
Ramayana. So, I didn’t write many reading notes so much as I just enjoyed the
video and the visualization of the story.
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| Sita Being Purified Source: Wikipedia |
Reading Notes: Paley's "Sita Sings the Blues", Part A
Bibliography: Nina Paley's "Sita Sings the Blues"
This animation is surprisingly entertaining! I do think that the bodies are pretty unrealistic… Lakshmi’s waist and breasts are largely disproportionate. I wonder if that’s a feature of cultural in general, or if that’s due to the westernization of the story? Just a thought. The conversation surrounding the story does a great job pointing out some of the ridiculousness of the story. If I had been talking about this story to my friends, this is totally how I would have portrayed the story. I had always assumed that it was Shurpanakha who was the golden deer.
Story telling- what if this story was done with classic musical songs instead of old-school jazz?
Story telling- what if Sita had some kind of special jewel or something similar that housed Rama’s power? Like, he literally needed her in order to do his thing.
Again with the not real bodies.
Lol I love how they point out how slightly silly it is to assume that Sita dropping her jewelry.
I didn’t realize that both Shiva and Krishna both had incarnations in the Ramayana.
I find it interesting that, when Ravana speaks, all ten of his heads speak. I have always imagined each head doing its own thing… ten heads, ten brains, ten different patterns of speech, right?
Story telling- Ravana’s heads each conflict with each other.
Lol “must love cat”
The half-man, half-monkey thing reminds me of the capitalized Monkey versus monkey in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (which was the book that inspired the movie).
Story telling- cross over between Wicked and the Ramayana?
I love Sita’s smile when the battle happens at Ravana’s.
I LOVE THE ROMANTIC REUNION AND THEN RAMA BEING A TOTAL BUTT. RAMA IS SUCH A REGRETTABLE CHARACTER. LIKE DUDE. COME ON.
This animation is surprisingly entertaining! I do think that the bodies are pretty unrealistic… Lakshmi’s waist and breasts are largely disproportionate. I wonder if that’s a feature of cultural in general, or if that’s due to the westernization of the story? Just a thought. The conversation surrounding the story does a great job pointing out some of the ridiculousness of the story. If I had been talking about this story to my friends, this is totally how I would have portrayed the story. I had always assumed that it was Shurpanakha who was the golden deer.
Story telling- what if this story was done with classic musical songs instead of old-school jazz?
Story telling- what if Sita had some kind of special jewel or something similar that housed Rama’s power? Like, he literally needed her in order to do his thing.
Again with the not real bodies.
Lol I love how they point out how slightly silly it is to assume that Sita dropping her jewelry.
I didn’t realize that both Shiva and Krishna both had incarnations in the Ramayana.
I find it interesting that, when Ravana speaks, all ten of his heads speak. I have always imagined each head doing its own thing… ten heads, ten brains, ten different patterns of speech, right?
Story telling- Ravana’s heads each conflict with each other.
Lol “must love cat”
The half-man, half-monkey thing reminds me of the capitalized Monkey versus monkey in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (which was the book that inspired the movie).
Story telling- cross over between Wicked and the Ramayana?
I love Sita’s smile when the battle happens at Ravana’s.
I LOVE THE ROMANTIC REUNION AND THEN RAMA BEING A TOTAL BUTT. RAMA IS SUCH A REGRETTABLE CHARACTER. LIKE DUDE. COME ON.
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| The Gods Attest to Sita's Purity Source: Nina Paley via Wikimedia Commons |
Saturday, October 15, 2016
Famous Last Words: Singing
On the third floor of the Conoco Phillips Student Leadership Center, there is a wide-open space with tall, vaulted ceilings, and at 11:00pm on most weekday nights, there also aren't usually students. The absence of people, combined with the acoustic nature of the space, makes it a great place to sing full-voice, which isn't something that I'm able to do too often. This week, I've found myself on the third floor almost every evening, belting out Sam Smith, Adele, and old-school Latin songs that I remember from high school. Singing is something that I find to be incredibly cathartic... there is really no substitute for the high that I get when I hit a powerhouse note in a song or when I create a really beautiful harmony with someone else. Unfortunately, this year, I had to quit my a cappella group because my Student Government Association position requires me to attend meetings the same evening as rehearsal. If there's anything that I regret from this year, it is absolutely that I had to quit. I didn't have much of a voice... I have to pay rent, after all, but I miss being able to sing with other people. It is honestly one of the greatest joys that I have in life. I've lately been thinking about starting a student organization with other people in my situation so that we can at least get together every so often to hang out and create beautiful music together. So far, I've found quite a few people, but I still don't know what that will look like. Do we buy sheet music? Do we hire an accompanist? I don't know, but I'm really excited to see where this all ends up. Even if it doesn't work out, I still have the third floor.
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Week 8 Growth Mindset
This class has enabled me to do a lot of self-reflection, which I've found to be incredibly valuable. Adopting a "growth mindset" isn't my default; I was raised to be highly competitive, to value success more than anything else. Those values were integral to my development and aren't so easily thrown aside. That being said, they did teach me some very important skills, skills which I would consider my strengths. Firstly, I am very self-motivated. I schedule with precision, ask questions when needed, and am able to take feedback if it makes me better at something. On the flipside, I need to work on being more of a risk-taker and not letting established standards determine what I do. I have a scholarship that depends on me keeping a 4.0, so when I say that I can't afford to fail, I mean it quite literally. That being said, I'm going to make a concerted effort to create more nuanced and non-traditional arguments in papers I'm writing for other classes. I'm looking forward to expanding my growth mindset as the semester comes to a close!
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| Quote on Winter Background Source: PixaBay |
Monday, October 10, 2016
Week 8 Reflections
Reading
I have really enjoyed the readings thus far, though sometimes the PDE versions of the Epics that I chose to read seemed to be a little muddled. That is to be expected, however, when there are so many different authors writing their own interpretations of a series of epic events. My favorite reading that I've done so far was Nagpal's Sita, as I found it to be the most engaging. It also answered the question "Why does Sita let Rama treat her like this?" by proving that she is more than able to end an abusive relationship when needed. I wish I could read without doing a reading notes post, but it is certainly helpful in terms of story writing.
Writing
I love the freedom that I have to create stories and narratives that I find to be personally compelling. So much of the writing that I do is academic in nature; I'm far more focused on citations and counterarguments than prose and polishing. I don't often have any immediate questions or problems when writing, but very much appreciate the feedback that I get from both the instructor and my classmates.
Connecting
I'm constantly impressed by how people are able to weave their own interests and stories into their writings. It provides an excellent window into their experiences that I find to be both edifying and fascinating. However, I think that many of my classmates can lack clarity in their writing; I've read many pieces that leave me more confused at the end than when I started. In order to avoid this, I intend to focus on making my exposition clear and concise in order to create a more realistic piece of writing.
I have really enjoyed the readings thus far, though sometimes the PDE versions of the Epics that I chose to read seemed to be a little muddled. That is to be expected, however, when there are so many different authors writing their own interpretations of a series of epic events. My favorite reading that I've done so far was Nagpal's Sita, as I found it to be the most engaging. It also answered the question "Why does Sita let Rama treat her like this?" by proving that she is more than able to end an abusive relationship when needed. I wish I could read without doing a reading notes post, but it is certainly helpful in terms of story writing.
Writing
I love the freedom that I have to create stories and narratives that I find to be personally compelling. So much of the writing that I do is academic in nature; I'm far more focused on citations and counterarguments than prose and polishing. I don't often have any immediate questions or problems when writing, but very much appreciate the feedback that I get from both the instructor and my classmates.
Connecting
I'm constantly impressed by how people are able to weave their own interests and stories into their writings. It provides an excellent window into their experiences that I find to be both edifying and fascinating. However, I think that many of my classmates can lack clarity in their writing; I've read many pieces that leave me more confused at the end than when I started. In order to avoid this, I intend to focus on making my exposition clear and concise in order to create a more realistic piece of writing.
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| "I am a writer"- Ink on Paper Source: PixaBay |
Friday, October 7, 2016
Famous Last Words: Failure
This week has been a great lesson that, even when life doesn't work out exactly like you want it to, it's still going pretty well. After pouring countless hours and significant effort into my application for the Ewing Fellowship, I got an e-mail yesterday that I was not selected for the award. I wasn't particularly happy; months of hard work appeared to be for not. However, as I talked to some other people, I realized that this award might have been out of my reach to begin with. This year, every recipient of the Fellowship was a Junior. In fact, I believe that I may have been the only sophomore even interviewed. I firmly believe that if you aren't attempting to do things that are slightly outside of your grasp, you aren't pushing yourself. Maybe this rejection was just what I needed to become re-energized as we approach scholarship/award season here at OU. Luckily, I don't think that the Ewing was my only chance to go to DC this summer... the LGBTQ Alum Club offers a scholarship to fund an internship relating to queer issues, and the DC Alum Club for OU offers a scholarship for internships in DC. There are clearly still options for me, and even if I don't end up working for the Human Rights Campaign this summer, I might study abroad or do something similar. I need to figure out when I'm going abroad, actually... I have to do it for my major, and I still haven't found the time to do so. Oh well. For now, I'm just focused on having a super relaxing weekend, doing some work, getting ahead on some things, and just spending time with friends. As we are half-way through Day 1, I have to say that it is a success.
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| Pun on a Post-It Source: Flickr |
Learning Challenge: Attention and Being Calm
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| Imaged created by https://memegenerator.net/MemeGenerator |
Thursday, October 6, 2016
Story: Battle of the Brothers
Battle of the Brothers
Scene: Arjuna and Karna meet in the middle of a clearing. All fighting between their respective armies has ceased.
ARJUNA- Karna, this fighting is senseless. Let us settle this battle ourselves; there is no need to endanger the lives of others in order for us to solve our own issues with each other.
KARNA- It shall be so.
The skilled warriors consulted with brahmins and other holy men on how they should proceed, and the following rules were established:
1. Celestial weapons and other boons of the gods would not be allowed.
2. Each participant would only be allowed a single weapon of their own choosing.
3. Each participant would be outfitted with the same basic armor.
4. The duel would be over when one participant either conceded or died. There would be no other way for the duel to conclude.
5. Victory in this skirmish would mean victory in the war.
6. By the powers of the gods, the terrain would change at different intervals in order to ensure that neither participant was given an advantage.
7. Violation of these guidelines in any way would anger the gods to such an extent that the individual would be condemned to never ascend to the heavens.
With the rules in place, each of the warriors drew their weapon. Arjuna, to the surprise of no man, drew his bow to do battle with his brother. Karna drew his sword. Everyone else drew a deep breath, silently praying to anyone that would listen.
A brahmin drew a circle around Arjuna and Karna, and with the clap of Krishna’s hands, the circle became a jungle.
The warriors began.
Arjuna quickly scaled a tree, firing volley after volley. Karna, moving with an almost inhuman speed, easily avoided the deadly darts and bided his time in the brush.
The circle became a desert.
Unhindered by trees and plants, Karna came charging at Arjuna with his full force, while Arjuna fired a single, solitary arrow into Karna’s shoulder. Karna felt a searing pain, but was otherwise unperturbed. When he finally reached Arjuna, he swung desperately and was able to slice off Arjuna's legs.
The circle became an ocean.
Bleeding out from his midsection, Arjuna used his arms to recover some seaweed that he proceeded to wrap around his wound in order to stem the flow of the bleeding. As he did this, he observed that Karna was drowning. Arjuna fired more arrows, albeit imprecisely due to his precarious position, and was able to hit both of Karna’s hands.
The circle became a field.
Karna, now unable to wield his sword, ran straight at Arjuna with murderous intent. Before he was able to reach him, however, Arjuna fired a few more arrows into Karna that prevented Karna from using his arms at all (Arjuna was a master of pressure points). Karna ultimately fell at Arjuna’s side, but not before kicking his arms so hard that they broke. Fully incapacitated and close to totally decapitated, both participants merely lay there until their wounds bled out and they moved on to the next life. The war was over. No one had won, but it was over. There was no celebrating, no singing; both sides had lost a valued and strong leader. The armies solemnly took the bodies and burned them with the dignity due to a ruler. There was much to do in the coming weeks, but this, this was a time for mourning.
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| Arjuna and Karna Battle Source: Flickr |
Author’s Note-
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Reading Notes: PDE Mahabharata, Part D
Bibliography: PDE Mahabharata
Bhishma Falls
Story telling- Bhishma couldn’t kill anyone born a man
Drona in Command
Story telling- Drona trades his life for Bhishma
Abhimanyu and Jayadratha
How weak is Krishna that he can’t just obliterate these mortals
Ghatotkacha
Story telling- Abhimanyu and Ghatotkacha were actually lovers, a fact which is only revealed after their deaths
Death of Drona
Why isn’t everyone filled with that same “courage and hope”?
Bhima and Duhshasana
Story telling- everyone forgives the debts of the other and goes him
Arjuna and Karna
Why didn’t these two people just fight in the beginning? Might have saved everyone a lot of bloodshed instead of requiring that everyone fight a battle for their lord.
Story telling- the gods intervened to stop Karna’s cheating
Duryodhana in the Lake
Story telling- Duryodhana just stays in the lake forever and builds a kingdom under the sea
The Raid
Ashwatthaman's Jewel
Story telling- The jewel is actually a mind-control device
Mourning
Story telling- Dhritarashtra stopped the battle before it started because he’s the father of basically everyone and patriarchy seems to be pretty important
The Pandavas and Bhishma
Wait he was never guilty of a sin? Ever?
King Yudhishthira's Horse
Story telling- Krishna has to be careful of what he says because everything that he says becomes fact/reality
Parikshit
Horse Sacrifice
Story telling- no horse comes forward to be sacrificed
The Mongoose
Wait huh
The Forest and its Ghosts
Story telling- the women don’t die for their husbands
Death of Krishna
That was quick.
The Pandavas Depart
Wow, these gods are not messing around. Those are such minor sins.
The Afterlife
#TheCakeIsALie
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| Yudhishthira and the Dog Source: Wikipedia |
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Reading Notes: PDE Mahabharata, Part C
Bibliography: PDE Mahabharata
Life
in the Forest
So did the copper pot contain just SOME food? What
kind of boon is that?
Story telling- the copper pot was a portkey
Krishna's
Visit
Story teling- Draupadi doesn’t act entitled to
anything because of her gender
Arjuna
and Shiva
And again, the hero gets the weapons he needs to win.
Arjuna
and Indra
Story telling- the apsaras stage a coup
The
Himalayas
Time passes so quickly in this universe
Who is this Markandeya?
Bhima
and Hanuman
Story telling- Hanuman tells Rama’s story as a means
of sustenance. He goes insane because he must continue to tell it.
Duryodhana
and the Gandharvas
Karna
and Indra
Story telling- Arjuna and Karna reject the “natural
order”
Jayadratha
and Draupadi
Well that was quick
Riddles
at the Lake
Where do all of these Brahmin come from?
Are there more than three worlds?
The
Court of King Virata
There’s a whole goddess for giving boons? All anyone
seems to do is give boons.
Bhima
and Kichaka
Story telling- Kichaka is punished by the gods for
being a rapist
The
Cattle Raid
Preparations
for War
Krishna loves himself some drama. Also, someone needs
to make a family tree
Krishna
and His Army
Story telling- Krishna rejects Arjuna
Krishna's
Mission to the Kauravas
Story telling- Krishna accidentally kills everyone
Krishna
and Karna
The
Armies at Kurukshetra
Seriously, where is the family tree? This is going to
make the annual reunion really awko tacos.
Bhagavad-Gita
I’d love to read that in the original Hindi (if I was
able to speak Hindi of course)
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| Statue of Ghatotkacha in Bali Source: INK361 |
Saturday, October 1, 2016
Review: Keep On Keeping On!
Announcements: Friday, September 30th
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| Cat Bounding through the Grass Image Source: Cheezburger Quote Source: Growth Mindset Memes |
Famous Last Words: Fellowship Reflection
This is a reflection on the last two weeks, which have been particularly exhausting. A few months ago, I decided to apply for the Ewing Fellowship, which is an award through the Political Science Department here at OU that funds a summer internship in D.C. For an aspiring lawyer, that opportunity is too significant to pass up. As such, I decided to apply. The application was extensive; it required two complete letters of recommendation, a 1500-word essay, a very specifically formatted resume, and a number of other smaller requirements. All in all, crafting the perfect application took a little over two months. Last week, however, was when I really needed to get down to business. I double-checked that my rec letters were in. I read, re-read, and then re-read my re-read copy of my essay probably about twenty times. I sent it to friends, co-workers, roommates... anyone that would read it had it thrust in front of their face. It was, quite honestly, an awful week as I strived to create exactly the kind of application that would help me to get the award. Yesterday, I got an e-mail that I had advanced to the interview phase. I almost cried. I hugged my boss, who happened to be nearby at the time. I called my mom. I celebrated with my best friend. Then I realized that I needed to prepare for the interview, which is supposed to be an intensive analysis of your proposed policy initiative by a number of political science professors. I've been spending the last 24-hours preparing for that like a man possessed. That being said, I am so excited to present in front of this panel. I get a rush from high-stakes public presentation that I don't think I can find anywhere else. Wish me luck!
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| Cortez A.M. Ewing, Namesake of the Ewing Fellowship Source: OU Political Science |
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Tech Tips: Hashtags and Retweets
The tweet that I re-tweeted can be found here. I am so excited for the new Rocky Horror to come out (I've loved Victoria Justice and Laverne Cox since I knew they existed) and can't wait to share it with everyone!
The hashtag that I found the most interesting was #ICMA (International City Management Association) which is a big conference that just concluded in my hometown of Kansas City. I used to to work for the City Council in Kansas City, so I was able to follow along pretty closely with some of the proposed policy changes and just enjoy some of my old work friends enjoying themselves!
The hashtag that I found the most interesting was #ICMA (International City Management Association) which is a big conference that just concluded in my hometown of Kansas City. I used to to work for the City Council in Kansas City, so I was able to follow along pretty closely with some of the proposed policy changes and just enjoy some of my old work friends enjoying themselves!
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Reading Notes: PDE Mahabharata, Part B
Bibliography: PDE Mahabharata
The House of Fire
This is one of
the first times that a “lowly” individual has been considered competent
Story telling-
The royal family pays the miner
Story telling-
Purochana succeeded
Bhima and Hidimba
Oh come on she’s
offering to help you out
Bhima and Hidimbi
The concept of
strength at twilight is really interesting
Story telling-
the demons are only strong at incredibly certain points during the day
Bhima and Baka
Much Brahmin very
wow
Birth of Draupadi
Story telling-
the princes are the one’s referred to as “slender-waisted”
Draupadi's Swayamwara
A bow? Where
have we heard that before?
Story telling-
rank doesn’t matter
Wife of the Five Pandavas
Why is everyone
so bound to the things they say?
Indraprastha
Story telling-
this city is taken over
Arjuna and Ulupi
How exhausting
that must have been for all the husbands to have all those restrictions
What? That child
was sudden.
Arjuna and the Apsaras
MORE RANDOM
MAGICAL POWERS.
Story telling-
the alligator is a guy and they fall in love
Story telling-
Arjuna didn’t get the magical power from the water nymph and dies
Arjuna and Chitra
Arjuna just
keeps having children.
Arjuna and Subhadra
Story telling-
Subhadra and Draupadi fall in love
The Burning of the Forest
Again, why do we
need magic weapons if we are heroes of legend?
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| Draupadi and the Pandavas Source: Wikipedia |
