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It is a particularly bitter year for those of us in the U.S. We continue to see our nation’s reputation and credibility eroded by a series of foreign policy blunders. We are in a position to lead the word to a cleaner, healthier, more prosperous future — yet instead we find ourselves mired in a debate about the legitimacy of torture. We spurn all efforts to address climate change. We burn heedlessly through the world’s remaining oil. We wage war.
My dad visited Boston and Emerson for the first time this past weekend. Coincidentally, Emerson held its Open House for prospective students this past Saturday. Dean Ludman again asked me to participate in the Student Life panel, but the panel was at the same time as my dad’s flight. I am not sure what was more intimidating to my dad: hopping between T lines from the airport alone or being met by Arthur’s mom at Boylston to bring him to the panel discussion.
I imagine that parents wonder and worry and hope for their kids. I know that my coming out shook up my family. It shouldn’t have, but I know that it did because they have to recreate an image of me based on me and not wishful or denial driven thinking.
My dad has always told me that he was proud of me. Hopefully, this past weekend substantiated that pride. This was the first time my dad saw me, the environment I place myself in, and the life I have created on my own. He got a small glimpse at some of my passions; an idea of why I am studying what I am studying.
After my mom died, my dad and I lost our one-on-one time. As we hiked the Freedom Trail, I felt like a kid again with my dad at a Boy Scout retreat. Only this time, I was a man with some direction.
My dad has always been resilient. His visit has left me smiling the past two days.
Ironically, society types were discussed in both my American Sign Language 3 and Islam class today. There are two extremes in societal classification: communal and individual. The western world has increasingly become hyper-individual. I identify with this transition. I feel as if I live in a culture where family identity has been diminished. It’s not selfishness or progress, it just is. I have friends closer than family. If I didn’t have a genetic/legal tie, I probably wouldn’t associate with some of my family. (Again, not being critical, that’s just the status of the relationships.) And I think that most of the people my age that I know feel this way. Sometimes I think it’s bad. Sometimes I think it’s good. Regardless, I feel loved by those around me.
On a side note, my dad is visiting me in Boston this weekend and I am super super super excited. :-D
A discussion in my Community Involvement class today debated education systems, as discussed in Releasing the Imagination by Maxine Greene. Teaching and testing factual, procedural knowledge is critical in math and some science. However, my liberal arts education at Emerson leads me to believe that an experiential style of education is far more useful and powerful than the traditional teach/test style. Unless students engage themselves in critical thinking, book knowledge and ability to regurgitate facts mean next to nothing.
A major problem is that the methodology of the education system motivates students entirely on external forces (the only reason to get a good grade is to not get in trouble, get praise from authorities, get into a good college to get a good job) rather than fostering self-motivation to learn. The structure in which students can be graded and passed is absolutely the cause of The Great Apathy of American students. The system does not give students any reason to care about education because the system does not care about non-gradeable development.
Innovation is simply manipulating what we already know. Certainly, a nuclear scientist must know a significant amount of factual information. However, had abstract thought not been fostered and entertained, the field of nuclear science would not exist.
Consider how many geniuses in history have rejected the education system. Leonardo da Vinci never had a formal education. Albert Einstein never did well in school. Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard. Essentially, the education system is a track developed by not-geniuses to create more not-geniuses. We’re not learning from our most capable. Why?
Arthur and I are visiting Stephanie‘s family in New Jersey this weekend. Steph’s family is super nice. They are wonderful mid-westerners stuck in stuck-up northeast. New Jersey is an interesting place. It has a large backyard, a hot tub, and coated garage floor that will help its resale value.
This morning, we awoke, waited for Stephanie to make her hair pretty, enjoyed the fine offerings of Bagel Barn, and “went into the city” (this is New Jersey speak for New York City) via train. This was my first experience on a commuter train. Nice to know that all rail systems aren’t like the MBTA.
MoMA and the Apple Store SoHo were on our hit list. I wanted to visit Nick Rhodes‘ gallery too, but time did not allow.
MoMA is a different type of art museum, but they have the same witchy guards that will yell at your mere thought of moving within a foot of any piece of art. Most of the art was… kinda lame. Simple geometric shapes, near solid color canvases, and flicks of paint over and over and over and over again are lame. However, there was a 40-speaker 40-channel sound installation of choral music that was one of the most amazing pieces of art I have ever experienced. I can appreciate art aesthetically, intellectually, but this piece touched me spiritually. There was also a red light wall that had a similar effect.
The Apple Store SoHo looked like MoMA, only with functional and somewhat affordable art. (Then again, there was an iBook and iPod on display in MoMA.) I played with the new iPod with video. The touchpad is… awkward? The squished white bevel with the original chrome back bevel looks awkward. The screen, however, is gorgeous and video playback is smooth. Maybe it was the display headphones, but the audio seemed more pronounced as well.
Every time I visit New York City, I feel that Boston should be ashamed. Its subway is nicer. The city is more exciting. The people are more beautiful. The culture is richer.
Anyhoo, I am so glad to have escaped Boston for the weekend with such wonderful people!
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