Free Topic Four: Writing A Research Paper about Landscape -Matt Latham

The bulk of my Research paper is centered on how landscape is pivotal in creating an environment suitable for religious or spiritual discovery. I’ve grown quite fond of this idea over the whole week ordeal. It makes so much sense after going through Lane and Turners book to see that the divine is obviously present in the wild. Lets take the weather for example. First lets operate under the assumption that God is the most powerful thing in the universe. That said lets look at a hurricane. Before the modern Age of man nothing else had the power to destroy whole villages, to threaten the lives of thousands of people. That is the power of God, to destroy. Now lets look at a forest fire. The forest fire destroys, yes. But afterwards there is a resurgence of new life. A Pine cone will only release its seeds if heated to the point of burning. It is a fail safe, it is order. This is the order that God represents, He destroys but he provides.

Free Topic Three: Landscape through Music -Matt Latham

I picked up a new album from Best Buy the other day and the first track has the sounds of a busy street on it. It gives me a very easy impression of a flooded New York City crosswalk. Then I recalled a discussion we had at the beginning of the semester about blues music and the recurring motif of the train whistle. This is the same thing. This music was made by people who live in the city, and where the train whistle may represent loneliness, because the train is leaving not stopping the street sounds may represent the same. I love that our landscape acts through us in so many ways it is quite an interesting concept that a place can act on us, just as we can act on it.

Free Topic Two: Crab Tree Falls -Matt Latham

Last summer I had the privilege to visit Crab Tree Falls with my father. For those not in the know, CTF is located between Charlottesville and Lynchburg and offers hikers the view of the largest vertical drop east of the Mississippi. It also joins up with the AT for a short period which I find very interesting being as this class focuses on the AT. If you ever get the chance to see this beautiful place please do. You won’t regret it!

Free Topic Two: Crab Tree Falls -Matt Latham

Last summer I had the privilege to visit Crab Tree Falls with my father. For those not in the know, CTF is located between Charlottesville and Lynchburg and offers hikers the view of the largest vertical drop east of the Mississippi. It also joins up with the AT for a short period which I find very interesting being as this class focuses on the AT. If you ever get the chance to see this beautiful place please do. You won’t regret it!

Free Topic One: We are not where we are from –Matt Latham

Going home over the weekend made me come to a conclusion. I love, but most of the times dislike where I come from. Home for me is Mechanicsville, Virginia. Mechanicsville is about 15 miles north of Richmond and is mostly comprised of farmland and subdivisions. My part of the county, the rural side, is not the nicest place in the world. It is full of ignorant racist bigots for the most part and I hate it. It all came to me when I walked into a local store and over heard a conversation between two workers about how black man as a president. There were several racial slurs thrown around, and I left. I recall many instances in my childhood witnessing racism, and sadly going along with it.
The turning point with the whole situation came in my junior year in High school, I read Joseph Conrad’s book Heart of Darkness. The book changed my entire outlook on how I view people’s race. If you haven’t read the book I highly suggest it, and it’s only like 80 pages! Just thought I’d take a moment to say that I am from Mechanicsville, but I am not Mechanicsville!

Fallen Tree at Noland Trail –Part Two- Matt Latham

As I stood up, I thought to myself “I’m not going to find anything” so I sat back down. And what I found I will never forget. I looked out onto the tree and saw animal droppings. I deduced that the droppings must be from animals walking out onto the tree and going after fish further from the bank. Then I looked under the tree and I saw fish and turtles taking refuge under the shelter of the tree from preying birds. I took none of this into special consideration at the time. Then I looked at the tree. It was dying and it its sides were other dead trees. It made me begin to think about how we feel about things that are dead or dying. Take a flower for example: When the flower is bright and fresh it is majestic and beautiful, but as soon as it begins to wilt it becomes and eyesore. It becomes something of no worth and to be thrown in the trash. Here in front of me there was my wilting flower, but it still served a purpose to the world around it. The tree was down, but it was not out! This would all serve little use if you did not understand the mindset that I entered the Noland Trail in. That week and for that matter the entire semester has not been the most pleasant one I remember. Grades were going down, family was getting sick, and friends were not acting friendly. I felt slightly broken down and feeling as if I had no purpose and was lost. Then I found this tree. The tree was just like me, it had fallen, but it had not yet given up! This tree was my natural representation. Had I not entered the Noland Trail with this mindset I would have probably walked straight past that tree. But I entered nature with a head in search and in need of a self-realization. In nature I found not what I was expecting to find, but what I needed to find.

Fallen Tree at Noland Trail –Part One –Matt Latham

I never thought that I would get out as much out of walking on the Noland Trial as I did. As I longboarded down to the river today nothing felt special in the air nothing gave me a sign that I would see something truly special. We all gathered at the Lions Gate and began to walk the trail. There were flowers, brids, bee’s, and the like. Nothing out of the ordinary. We continued down through the wood, and we came upon a turn. The turn was a over-look that viewed the lake. I was less concerned with the view and more interested in a tree that had fallen in the lake at the bottom of the overlook. Tired of walking, I sat down on the lake, and tried to take in the view. I knew we were out looking for something special in the wood, and I wanted to find it. (Because after all we had to write a paper about it.) After sitting there for about 20 minutes I was ready to give up. I stood up and gathered my things. (to be continued)

Liminality in Pilgrimage –Matt Latham

The bulk of Turners book is comprised with information surrounding pilgrimage. While on a pilgrimage the pilgrim is moving away from the profane and towards the sacred. The pilgrimage is a means to purify themselves. The aim is to become Liminal. Liminalty is to become in between two worlds. Not in the Sacred wholly and not in the Profane wholly. I like how the concept seems to imply that we can never truly be in the presence of the sacred. We can never truly leave the profane world behind us. The idea reminds me of the bible story surrounding Mosses receiving the message of god. Even mosses cannot perceive the whole presence of god, him eyes must be covered and gods back is turned. When he comes off the mountain, he veils himself, because his followers could not stand to look into the eyes that saw the backside of god. All very interesting.

Flow, and Guitar –Matt Latham

Turner talks about the concept of flow in the appendix of his book. I found it interesting how we utilize flow everyday. It can be sports, studying, video games, or music. Everybody has felt that feeling that they are totally immersed in what they are doing. It is like you have left this planet and gone somewhere else. You are totally and wholly dedicated to what you are doing. I have experienced this while playing guitar. When I play guitar I do it for myself, no one else. It is a form of meditation for me, and typically I end up closing my eyes and let my hands figure it out. I’ve found that once I allow myself to totally be immersed in the music my hands seem to work on their own, the music seems to flow out of me and into the guitar and out again. I loose myself in the music, I almost seem to disappear. When Turner spoke about Flow in his book, I doubt he had guitar in-mind. But nevertheless that’s where my mind took me.

Hajj to Mecca and Communitas -Matt Latham

R ecently in the news I have seen widespread coverage of the Hajj taking place towards Mecca as well as the concerns over a possible swine flu break out due to close quarter contact. I didn’t think much of this in regards to the class, until I thought of why are they in close quarters. Well yes there are a lot of people traveling to the same place, but on the other hand they are practicing communitas. Communitas according to Turner is a break down in the stratified order of the community. In communitas there are no social barriers. It is common for this type of phenomenon to take place while on pilgrimages. These pilgrims heading to Mecca are practicing communitas. They are living together, sleeping together, and eating together. This type of interaction would otherwise not happen in most cases, on a pilgrimage is one of the only places where people truly come together.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8372378.stm

Chora and Topos –Matt Latham

Lane’s Discussion of place as Chora and Topos in part two of his book is particularly interesting to me. I never realized how we give meaning to otherwise meaningless places. His example involving McDonalds was beautifully crafted. I can completely understand where he is coming from. I have a lucky quarter given to me from my grandfather; it was given to him by his father, and is dated 1888. This quarter is now pretty valuable, but there are other ones like it out there. There is nothing special about the quarter except the value I attach to it. My quarter to me is Chora, while the other quarters are simply Topos. The other quarters are like mine, but they will never have the significance that mine does to me.

Lanes Three Approaches in COLD FEVER –Matt Latham

Perspective is crucial to how Hirata views his surroundings while in Iceland. In Landscapes of the Sacred, Lane creates three different ways that we can view the sacred, more to the point how we perceive it.
The first is the ontological. The ontological perspective is used to set apart a sacred place from everything around it. The sacred place is “recognized as manifesting its own inherent, chthonic power and numinosity. It is a place of hierophany, where supernatural forces have invaded the ordinary.” Hirata uses this perspective while at the river. The river to Hirata is sacred for what happened there, his parents died there. It is sacred because of it’s origins. Hirata honors this by performing the Shinto rituals for his dead parents.
The second type of perspective is cultural. This is where we view sacred place as having some attached cultural meaning where the sacred and the profane leak into one another. Hirata views this perspective while observing the nativity scene that his cab driver partakes in early in the movie. The nativity scene took place at what appeared to be a highway rest stop. The nativity scene was one like any other, but there were Icelandic traditions involved. The nativity scene turned the rest stop into sacred place. But to truly appreciate the sanctity of the place you must observe the scene through a cultural perspective.
The last approach is the phenomenological perspective. This perspective utilizes the landscape as integral to the understanding of the sanctity of a place. Lane says that, “given this [the phenomenological approach] one may even have to speak of the place as perceiving itself through us” (43). This approach personifies the landscape in being necessary to understanding and perceiving the sacred. Hirata comes in contact with a fairy in the movie. The fairies are said to live in these rocks all over Iceland. These rocks are so special to the Icelanders that they build roads around them as not to disturb the fairies. The fairies actually appear to Hirata in the movie when his car breaks down. The fairies are a crucial part of the landscape and add to the sanctity of the place.
October 20, 2009

Kelly Hayes, Free Topic 3: The Northern Lights

Auroras are some of the most spectacular natural sights in the world. Those lucky enough to see them discover an appreciation for the way elements can come together in the world. These natural light displays are among the most beautiful things one can witness and may one of the most inspirational for some people. The way the lights dance across the sky is magical and puts science at the back of your mind, despite the massive role science plays in this display. The Northern Lights form at the poles of planets where the magnetic fields are at their strongest. Being a Biology major yet still a spiritual person, it is easy for me to admire the lights for what they are; a perfect combination of science and imagination. For those who seek enlightenment or a connection with spirituality in the wilderness, I believe the Northern Lights are one of the most spectacular sights they could come across. Watching this must feel like an honor and really make someone contemplate the quality of their life. Auroras, named after the Roman goddess of dawn, holds a special place in the hearts of people who have observed its show and appreciate the glorious sights of planet earth.

Kelly Hayes, Free Topic 2: Wilderness Sounds

In this class, we focus strongly on the visual portion of this wilderness. How can you not? The mountains are breathtaking, the scenery is unimaginable, the wildlife is captivating, and the flora is beautiful. But not much attention is paid to the sounds that come out of such an experience. Once you think about it, the noises that you may hear, and possibly not be able to see, are as much a part of the wilderness ad the visuals are. It gives you insight into things you cannot see but may still be able to understand. It can tell you things if you listen closely enough. The river bubbling in the background may give a lost hiker an idea to a location. The birds chipping could indicate what time of day it is. The ice cracking beneath you on a frozen lake indicates danger. Tapping into your other senses may be one of the most enlightening things you can do while in the wilderness. Taking a second to close your eyes and hear, smell, or imagine what could be in the world around you indicates someone who is taking in the full experience and should not be missed. It is magicial and may even become the soundtrack to which you fall asleep at night. The soothing, natural music of the woods is something that is so extraordinary and cannot be expressed by merely seeing the sights.

Kelly Hayes, Free Topic 1: Appalachian Trail

My research paper for this class focuses on the Appalachian Trail and how it transforms the lives of women in a positive way. Upon doing research of this paper, I became very interested on the specifics of the AT and how it has effected all sorts of people; men, women, young, or old. The AT extends generously throughout most of the east coast of the United States, over 2,000 miles of wilderness. It is hard for me to imagine such expansive amounts of woods that has not been run over with bulldozers and made into parking lots. It amazes me that so much of this trail is largely wilderness, it seems like a safehaven for the ever-shrinking habitat for creatures. It is refreshing to see such a well-protected and respected portion of land dedicated to the pure simplicity of life. This trail spans from the Northern tip of Georgia all the way through Maine and attracts thru-hikers from all over the world. My interest in the wilderness, wildlife, and trails was not prompted by this class alone. I have always admired those who could live out in the elements without all of the materialistic items we seem to need to survive on a daily basis. It brings me back to elementary school when I first imagined such a thing. My imagination ran wild when my chorus group sang "Rocky Mountain High". Upon hearing such an inspiring story, I contemplate how easy it is to be caught up in everyday life without really living. I hope to one day be able to complete a portion of this trail and have my own experience to add to this research paper.

Gianandrea Heyer ; Quarrel about saving natural resources

I went to play soccer one day and after the match I came back to the locker room to take a shower and get dressed again. While I was getting ready to get in the shower, I noticed one little kid- I thought he was around 10 years old- he was washing his hands. After he was done washing his hands, he went back to his locker, leaving the water running. Then, after one minute, he went back, finished to wash his hands, and eventually closed the tap. I got mad, because I thought it was a waste of water. So, I decided to tell him he should remove that bad habit, and that little changes in everyone’s daily behavior can lead to major environmental changes. The little boy did not really understand what I was talking about, but he stared at me, confused, uncomfortable. While he left the locker room, he shyly said “ it’s not that the water I wasted there changed the world”. He was true- I thought- but if every kid of his age thinks it that way, what will happen to the world in the future?

Gianandrea Heyer :Public transportation in the US

I was reflecting about how the US could make a step toward a greener future, helping the environment to be cleaner. I noticed that in the US the public transportation is very weak compared to European countries and I started thinking about it. I noticed that the distances are way bigger than the ones in Europe because Virginia is twice as big as Switzerland for instance, which makes it harder to cover the territory with a good public transportation net. But then I also thought that the mentality here is different and people like to use their car instead of buses or trains. Why do you guys think this happens?

Gianandrea Heyer :Public transportation in the US

I was reflecting about how the US could make a step toward a greener future, helping the environment to be cleaner. I noticed that in the US the public transportation is very weak compared to European countries and I started thinking about it. I noticed that the distances are way bigger than the ones in Europe because Virginia is twice as big as Switzerland for instance, which makes it harder to cover the territory with a good public transportation net. But then I also thought that the mentality here is different and people like to use their car instead of buses or trains. Why do you guys think this happens?

Gianandrea Heyer : Hermit life

In one of his books -“La promessa”- Friedrich Duerrenmatt, a famous swiss contemporary writer, claims that the hermit lifestyle is the best one for human happiness. He means that the fact of being isolated from any other human being, and at the same being in strict contact with the wilderness brings gives you the best life experiences. I thought about it for a while, trying to recall my own experiences I had when I was alone in the wilderness. I thought that even though the nature can give you something you’d never receive from any human being, the human interrelation is vital. In class we saw that all these people going through the Appalachian Trail were happy. But none of them were alone, they all enjoyed the fact that there was somebody to hang out with and share their experiences with. I do not know if somebody would be able to do the whole trail, avoiding any human contact. Would that be as good of an experience as sharing it with other people met along the trail? I do not think so.

Kyle Shipe; Lane's Three Approaches

The first time I read Lane's three approaches to understanding a sacred place I was confused. But after rereading them and looking at how Lane applies them to a place like Medicine Wheel Wyoming, I was able to get a better grasp on them. Lane first discusses the ontological approach. In this approach Lane talks about the actual place "manifesting its own inherent, chthonic power and numinosity...where supernatural forces have invaded the ordinary." At Medicine Wheel the Native Americans believed that the great spirits of old lived there and were still present there. They had respect and fear for the great spirits and they naturally associated Medicine Wheel with the great spirits. A second approach is the cultural approach. Lane says that, "every human attribution of sacrality is always a social construction of reality." Culture and religion always overlap, and there is always some type of conflict at the place that is sacred. The third approach is the phenomenological approach, and it suggests that the place itself participates in the perception of it. This is to say that the way we look at a place is affected by the nature of the place itself. Overall Lane's axioms provide a great definition of sacred place, but his three approaches help make sacred place more personal and applicable to my life.

Kyle Shipe: Lane's Axioms

When we first started discussing the topic of sacred place I honestly did not know anything about it. The only way in my mind to define the sacred was holy. And when it came to defining holy the only way I knew to describe that was consecrated to God. By studying Lane's four axioms it allowed me to be able to appreciate what sacred and holy really meant, especially when it is applied to place. Lane's first was sacred place is not chosen it chooses. After reading about The Clearing In the Woods I understood what Lane meant by this and it is must be applicable for something to be sacred. His second principle was sacred place sacred place is ordinary place, made ritually extraordinary. By Lane keeping the ritual of silence in his journey throughout the woods it helped him experience the sacred place. Lane's third axiom is sacred place can be tread upon without being entered. This made sense to me as I thought that if it was a place that everyone entered and it was "sacred" then it really wouldn't be sacred at all. Lane's final axiom is sacred place is both local and universal. Sacred place cannot be "contained" as that is one of the very elements that make it sacred. Overall Lane's axioms really helped me to grasp exactly what defines a sacred place.

Kyle Shipe: Class Overview

I remember the very first class from August. You handed out the syllabus and made each of us compose a short poem to describe ourself. I immediately thought that this was not going to be a class I enjoyed. However, after giving the class a real chance I found myself asking questions and thinking about things that never seemed to cross my mind before. The idea of a sacred place was something that was foreign to me and I had not really dealt with it before this class. While I fully believed that sacred places existed I did not know what constituted a sacred place, and I did not personally know of any sacred places. I'm glad that I didn't drop the class after the first meeting. After giving it a chance it turned out to be very interesting and provided me with lots of information.

CNU's traditions by Diana Cox

Has anyone noticed the amount of traditions Christopher Newport University has? How many of us everyday do some sort of ritual or tradition and not really pay any attention to what we are doing. There is the circle made of bricks on the ground near the Commons, and it is said that if you step in the middle you will not graduate in four years. For all those CNU students just watch people, they will walk around or step over the circle to avoid it. The circle holds us back for walking on it as though fear drives us away. Not only do we have rituals CNU annually celebrates many traditions. There have been annual scholarship receptions that are slowly turning into traditions. Recently, freshmen have been invited to President’s house for desserts. This will probably turn into a tradition. These events will one day turn into traditions, but we have events that are traditions. Traditionally, the CNU theater program puts on a major play in the fall semester and a musical in the spring. In addition to academic programs, Christopher Newport celebrates the holidays. The dining halls also decorate for each holiday, which has become a tradition. There is always a themed dinner in the dinning halls for each holiday from Halloween to Christmas. At CNU we also have a tree lighting ceremony every winter, to celebrate the holidays that are soon to come. These few events just barely skim the surface of all the traditions that happen at Christopher Newport University. For the CNU students reading this, look around you and see how traditions you can find.

Writing a Ten Page Paper by Diana Cox

For one of my class, my teacher assigned a ten page paper to write. Other classes that had the same assignment wrote papers throughout the semester that directly connected to their final paper. Since our class wrote different assignments we did not have background information about our chosen subject for the ten page paper. This made writing a ten page paper very difficult. I had to choose a subject, which I chose how Jerusalem could be considered the holiest place in the world. Then the fun began, I had to start research about Jerusalem. I checked out all the books I could possibly relate to the city of Jerusalem like, books on Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Next I had the pleasure of searching all the books for the certain information I needed to prove my point. I ended up with thirteen sources and about 50 note cards. The next step was to actually write the paper which is always fun. I sorted all my note cards and over a period of a week typed majority of the paper. Basically, I wrote my paper thinking the rough draft was due earlier then it actually was, so I guess I was a little bit ahead of everyone else in the class. Of course, Thanksgiving break gave and the editing process just did not happen. Now I have four days to write a page and a half and to edit ten pages. This is how my lovely experience of writing a ten page paper happened of the course of about a month.

Light and scared sites by Diana Cox Based on Barbara Weightman’s Sacred landscapes and the Phenomenon of Light

Light is a vital part of daily life. The sun rises and sets daily giving the earth a blast of sunlight, which is essential for light. Though light is a powerful element that is necessary for all life, it as also a part of sacred sites. Light is a fundamental part of religious experiences, it has the ability to evoke responses and representations among particular belief systems. According to Barbara Weightman, there are at least four ways in which light is integral to a sacred landscape. The first one is the sun or another celestial body, which gives heat and nutrition for the world below it. The next being fire, which is man’s creation. We use it for light, heat, and cooking purposes. Though when it relates to landscapes, it can destroy everything in its path. The next way is which light is integral part of a sacred landscape is light rays. Light rays especially from the sun pass heat. Though have you ever seen light rays from the sun in the sky, it looks almost angelic; as though God is sending a little aspect of his power and grace to the world. The last aspect is color. Color is an affirmation of light and reveals and defines relative purity. Each of these aspects has a different effect on how a local geography is perceived.

Light by Diana Cox based on Barbara Weightman’s Sacred landscapes and the Phenomenon of Light

Believe it or not, light is a fundamental part of a religious experience. Light is connected to several aspects of religions because of its symbolism. Light represents a part of life, a change or a spiritual happening. From the very beginning light has been a part of the creation of the earth. God first made the heavens and earth, but it was empty and darkness swept over the surface. God chose to create light and separated it from darkness. Throughout the Bible, aspects of light are mentioned. When Jesus was born, wise men followed a star; it was the light that shown them the way. Another example is when Moses encountered the burning bush; fire is a type of light. The light in these examples grabs the people’s attention and draws them in. Light allows people to focus on the essence parts of life. Moreover, the examples represent aspects of how light is a powerful element, especially in biblical situations. Light not only is represented through religious texts but it also connects to sacred sites. When sacred sites are made it is as though an inner light outweighs the outer darkness. Light through its presence or absence, allows sites to be set apart from the profane. It allows life to focus and to have a purpose. Light is essence part of life through its abilities and power over the darkness, and it is a fundamental part of religions and sacred sites.

Chris Yencha, Free Topic 1

Essentially a response to "Gianandrea Heyer :What can we do to stop global warming?", I was reading an interesting article the other day -Can Economic Activities Lead to Climate Chaos? An Economic Analysis on Global Warming- about a suggested positive correlation between economic productivity (specifically of the agricultural sector) and climate. I pulled up the article here in case anyone is interested. Of particular note is the date, the essay having been written in 1997 after "substantial revision" (suggesting to me that the dissertation may have been written a year or two prior). People suggest evidence all the time to work against global warming, but few listen and fewer choose to act. I can't personally remember ever even hearing about global warming in 1997, but there must have been a handful of people who were concerned as evidence of this essay. Now, global warming appears to be of concern to a far greater number of people while the ability for us to act as a populace to counteract the negative impact of greenhouse emissions is decreasing as our pollution becomes even more intense and enduring.

The writer of the article uses a general equilibrium model (not unlike supply and demand) to emulate the theoretic stabilizing properties that he hypothesizes exists between the economy and the climate, both sides of which are assumed intrinsically stable. Essentially, the economic system is described as the output of the manufacturing sector increases, temperatures rise which will decrease the productivity of the agricultural sector, pulling resources away from the manufacturing sector and stabilizing the economy. The climate system that is contrasted with the economic system is simply demonstrated to be naturally self-stabilizing; however, the two systems, when combined, work against each other. This equilibrium is suggested to exist only as long as the Earth may dispel heat energy at a sufficient rate. The author then concludes that as the Earth becomes less capable of shedding this heat, competitive equilibrium will limit the ability for the environment to stabilize.

I don't personally agree with a few premises that the author suggests in his argument but the logic itself is solid and the essay is well written. I'll also be real honest and put it out there that I don't feel as if mankind is having a significant impact on the stability of the environment, in spite of the arguments made in the essay among others, but I am a reasonable person and am open to the opinions of those especially concerned over the state of the environment. Hopefully I will not be proven wrong in my current stance in the future :P. I do, however, feel that taking care to making sound environmental decisions is a pretty easy thing to do and it's a shame more people won't actively recycle and whatnot considering how effortlessly they may do so. Even though I'm not completely convinced of the evidence of impending disastrous global warming among other environmental concerns, there are so many things which could be done fairly simply to help preserve our world for the centuries to proceed us.

Gianandrea Heyer: OIL resources drying up

If scientists’ projections are correct, all the resources of world’s oil will disappear by the end of 2040. This would mean that by that time all the fuel resources won’t be available anymore. Every traditional fuel car won’t be able to work anymore, as well as other fuel based machinery. I know that on the one hand there are still 30 years between now and that date, and that we’ll be around 50, but what are the changes we’ll have to do in our lives in order to get used to that? Not a lot of people owns a car working by natural gas (which does not pollute at all) and does not even think about it. But if projections are correct, should not we starting thinking about it, also considering that global warming is rising?

Gianandrea Heyer :What can we do to stop global warming?

I was recently reading an article about the consequences we could face in the future if we let global warming keep growing. If scientists’ predictions are right, the level of ocean’s water could rise by 23 inches by 2100. This would mean that part of the cities located at the coasts will slowly sink under the water. Most of the times, we do not think about it, because it does not directly affect us today. But if this could actually take place, why don’t we do anything about it. Do you think the economic aspect should have the priority in someone’s life, or saving the environment should be more important when it comes to make daily decisions?

Lindsay Conrad and the art of building

I have been recently accepted into seminary and will be pursuing a job in church development. My ideal job would be a "church doctor" in a sense. I think it relates to art because, in this potential job, I will be visiting churches that are struggling and viewing the broken and beautiful bride of Christ and will see how I can help her heal and improve in relationship with God. I will view current church structures in the sense of relationships, committees, programs already available and programs to sustain groups of people that would otherwise not have a place in the church just for them.
The building in a more spiritual sense is the building that i will be observing, critiquing and constructing. I will be working in the perspective of redemption in a way that will save the struggling churches and develop the community that may be missing. I will seek the cornerstone of faith that so many of the church members and the church itself leans on and will find ways for them to connect with the "other" that van der Leeuw seeks in various forms of art.

Lindsay Conrad - liturgical dance

Growing up, I was a part of a liturgical dance team in my church, and eventually got into the leadership position for the team. The dances we created we re intended as a form of prayer to lift up during the worship services, and my team very carefully chose movements that would glorify and honor God.
van der Leeuw sees dance from the perspective of creation. He says that dance is done out of an almost celebratory act because one freed, which would tie into the idea of redemption that encompasses some of the other arts that van der Leeuw talks about.
The rhythm involved in a unified movement in dance creates a talent aspect that Christians are caled to share with their church as a part of the body of Christ. The rhythm in liturgical dance is not as important as the meaning placed in each movement. We made many moves the act of an elaborate sign language which involved more of a dance movement but was also a clear conversation between the dancer and God. The goal of each dance was to make the prayer clear, and the meaning behind it. A successful dance ended in satisfied dancers and a tear-filled audience.

Pilgrimage relates to the liminal phase attributes in passage rites. Pilgrimages allow people to get allow from the mundane ways of life and experience a new way of looking at life. Usually pilgrimages involve traveling across the world to certain religious site. They enable people to have an experience of healing and renewal process. Being able to get away from thing allows you to be thankful for the things you have and the ability to be stress free. For some a pilgrimage is a reflection of religious values and beliefs. Many people travel to places like Jerusalem or Mecca. These sites represent a place of holiness for several religions. Pilgrimages allow people to follow the footsteps of past prophets and religious leaders on sacred grounds. People can feel like they have truly experienced something from the past and bring their experiences of the pilgrimage to the present day.

Sicily by Diana Cox

In May, I have the opportunity to travel to Sicily with Christopher Newport University. The Classics Department is journeying there to study the Roman and Greek influence on the island off the coast of Italy. Being a classical studies major this opportunity will give me the chance to see and experience what I have been learning in the classrooms and text books. I can not wait to travel outside of the United States; I have only been as far as Canada. Now I have the chance to take my first adventure across seas.
I am looking forward to seeing, smelling, tasting, feeling, everything about Sicily. Before I have the opportunity to experience Sicily, I choice to read and study about Sicily. For my history class, I read an informational book about the past cultures and conquerors of the island. It listed every group pf people who ever influenced the progress of Sicily. The book I read was very factual and informational. The book was extremely boring and uninteresting. If you are traveling anywhere especially across seas I advise not reading a historical book about the place. Doing background information is a good idea, but just look up pictures and tourists sites in books or on the internet.
When I get to Sicily I hope to use all the concepts I have learned in my classical studies classes and my ULLC class. I will be visiting several archeological and sacred sites. When I visit these places I will have the knowledge and experience to be able to participant in the site. In addition, I will be able to analysis and hopefully share my knowledge with the rest of the group going.

Daniel Mejia dont compare yourself to others.

I was hanging out with my friend Nikki one day and came across an interesting looking book. This book is called, "The Art of Happiness." I started skimming the book as Nikki was doing something in the computer (probably facebook stalking cute boys), anyways, I was very interested in some of the concepts the Dalai Lama presented in this book. I ended up borrowing it from Nikki that same night. One of the most interesting concepts in this book is the fact that we are not happy because we are some greedy people. It is interesting how professional athletes that make millions of dollars per year complain about their salary. Simply because one of their teammates is making more money than they are. If you think about it, the only reason we want material things, is to satisfy our greed. We dont really need the new car every couple of years, the old one is perfectly fine as it is right now, and it serves its purpose which is transportation. If we just stop comparing ourselves to our neighbors or anyone we will appreciate more what we got and in the end be more happy.

Daniel Mejia Communitas vs. Community

After reading three of Turners books, in my opinion, I' am pretty sure what the main difference is between communitas and community. Let me start by saying that we live in a hierarchical community ever since we were born. In this community individuals are placed high or low according to skill and social value. Community is structured, like in the Egyptian caste system (Pharaohs are up top, peasants down at the bottom.) Communitas in the anti-structured according to Turner. I completely agree with Turner. In communitas, a price and a peasant can look eye to eye. There is not one person who is more "valuable" to the community, everyone is equal. This egalitarian community is developed in the liminal stage where limirars are in the middle of their right of passage.

Daniel Mejia Communitas in pilgrimage to Mecca

Ive been reading books about the pilgrimage to Mecca and undoubtedly, this long pilgrimage produces communitas. Communitas is a generic bond between individuals that is obtained in the liminal stage of rights of passage. Imagine millions of people gathered in one place for one reason, "the call of God." Prayer is very important for the Islamic culture, and this involves several timed prostrations. What surprised me is that even though this people have never even met, they due this prostrations almost perfectly in sync. This is a clear evidence that communitas is present in the journey to Mecca.

Fall at CNU - Nina Salzberg

Lately I've been noticing the trees around CNU campus. It's fall so the leaves are changing from green to yellow/red/orange. Its beautiful. I took a walk around campus a couple weeks ago. By myself just wondering around taking notice at the little things. Some trees had bright orange leaves that reflected the sunlight. Which made them seem probably brighter and more orange then they were. Leaves were all over the ground at some points and the sound of the crunching under my feet made me happy. Fall is here, which means winter is on its way. My favorite season. A sea of warm colors is what i saw when I looked at the tree tops. A beautiful masterpiece of nature.

Communitas - Nina Salzberg

Turner defines communitas as "a relational quality of full unmediated communication, even communion, between definite and determinate identities, which arises spontaneously in all kinds of groups, situations, and circumstances". Communitas is different than a community in that communitas as a sense of personal connection to other people. In a community you are in relation to people, but not necessarily on a personal level with them. In communities you live near each other but you dont have to interact. In communitas you interact with people on a personal level. You get to know them. For example, on pilgrimages, you have to hike with people you've never met. After a while you get to know who these people really are and why they are there. You get a sense of connection with them. I like this quote from Turner "communitas is an essential and generic human bond". Communitas is a bond, a bond that you cant get from being in a community.

Pilgrimage as Liminoid Phenomenon - Nina Salzberg

Pilgrimage is a state of being in between. You are leaving what you know and going to what you don't know. You are passing realms and removed from social status. This is also liminality. Turner describes liminality as "the state and process of mid-transition in a rite of passage". In some religious, pilgrimage is a rite of passage. You have to travel to certain places and leave everything you know behind. For example, the pilgrimage to Mecca. Muslims have to travel from different parts of the world to the city of Mecca. It is a rite of passage in their religion because it is one of their Five Pillars. They set off on this journey not knowing what they are going to experience once they get there or on the way. The pilgrimage itself is what defines the experience. Not knowing or being uncertain makes you open to experience the holly. Therefore pilgrimage is liminality.

The Ontological Approach - Nina Salzberg

In Lane's book, he discusses three approaches to understanding sacred place. Ontological, cultural, and phenomenological. Lane exaplains the ontological approach as this : "From this perspective, a sacred place is radically set apart from everything profane; it is a site recognized as manifesting its own inherent, chthonic power and numinosity. It is a place of hierophany, where supernatural forces have invaded the ordinary." This statement basically means that sacred place is set apart from the nonreligious, it is a site recognized as showing its own power within you and power rising up from earth, sky, or water. Its a place of holly appearance. But sacred places never show themselves in full view. Lane states that those experience this are participating in mystery. A mystery is something unknown. Something that gives clues, yet nothing to give the answer away. But also, some mysteries are never answered. Some are left wondering "what if".

Storied Place - Nina Salzberg

In Lane's book he mentions that sacred place is storied place. That places are recognized for the stories told about them. This makes the sacred to people who haven't been there. Telling a story about a place does not give off the same experience as going there and feeling it. Stories about places just give you a false sense of what to expect. That there's something out there someone saw, heard, or felt. You dont know if its real. Yet most people believe stories about sacred places. I couldnt believe it unless I, myself, was there. I don't particularly agree with Lane's statement about sacred place is storied place. It is true that people will tell of their stories or personal experiences at sacred places. And in turn, makes other people believe what happened at that certain spot is real. But I think you have to experience it for yourself.

Lane's 4 axioms - Nina Salzberg

In Lane's book, Landscapes of the Sacred, he states that there are "self-evident princliples that underlie the way by which landscape is molded in the religious imagination". These axioms describe how sacred places are perceived. The first axiom is "sacred place is not chosen, it chooses". This means that you can not just walk into the woods and find sacred place. You must go in with no intention. The second axiom is "sacred place is ordinary place, ritually made extraordinary". This means that sacred places can be places you walk by everyday, somewhere common. But they are sacred to certain people because of what has happened there. The third axiom is "sacred place can be tred upon without being entered". This means that you might have come across sacred spots before, but you didnt open up yourself to receive the experience. And finally, the forth axiom is "the impulse of sacred place is both centripetal and centrifugal, local and universal". This means that sacred places can be around you but also in your thoughts. You may relive a sacred experience but not actually go there again.

Chelsea Huber - Flow

Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture

Flow is a holistic sensation, meaning that it effects everything. Flow requires total involvement because each action follows another action and this chain cannot be interrupted. This flow cannot be a conscience effort, there must be a automatic and natural effort put forth. When I think of flow, I think of softball. I have played softball since I was six years old, and I still play for intramurals. When I was little, my coach would tell me a million little things that I needed to do to improve my throwing and my batting. I would try to remember each little thing that I needed to do when I got up to the plate, and I would suck. When I concentrated really hard on my throws, they would be terrible. It wasn't until years later that I realized that I needed to just feel the swing or throw, I couldn't force it. Concentrating on all of the little things detracted from the overall success. This is true for sarced place as well. When you find yourself experiancing sarcred place, it is not all of the tiny little things that are important. Rather, the general feel and flow of the place generates the experiance of the sacred. The flow of the world is the magical factor that binds all of the little things up into one smooth and perfect transaction.

Chelsea Huber - Noland Trail 2

Natural Setting

As our class walked on the Noland Trail I felt silly and awkward. However, any other time that I walk on the trial or am in nature I feel peaceful and happy. I decided that I do not like to share introspective moments with other people. I could not find a mental place of calmness because I was on guard and feeling judged.
The trail usually has a handful of people on it, but they are usually older and that makes me feel safer. Older people or exercising people are part of a communitas on the trail. You can interact with them in a manner that has no relation to who they are outside of the trail. A jogging couple will say hi to you regardless of your youth and financial situation.
I find myself appreciating people more when I see them amongst the honesty of nature. Everyone seems more worthwhile and happier. This difference in my view of humanity is interesting. At school I get so stressed and frustrated with people, but if I go out to the trail and even see someone with whom I have an issue, I will feel positively towards them. Nature is so soothing. As is being alone.
Everyone needs alone time and time to recharge. All of the trees and plants have such a great combined power. I believe that they transfer their energy to human beings. This is why nature refreshes us. This is why nature should never be destroyed.

Chris Yencha, Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture 1

In contrast to my typically bland blog entry, I thought I'd try to attack one of these required-text entries in a more interesting way.


I present to you The Swim by Liminals. [Friendly Noise]

Liminals is a new Swedish techno-pop duo made up of Anna-Karin Brus and Tomas Bodén. The group released an EP about a week ago which included this The Swim. The EP, Hearthand, may be one of the greatest contributions to Italo-disco this year.

To stay relative to the topic, I was reading an interview between the duo and Friendly Noise Magazine concerning the band's decision to split apart from Differnet to produce more disco-oriented techno, the emerging new mediums of music distribution and the effect that they are projected to have on the business for Liminals, and hypnotic, minimalist composition within the genre to name a few; however, the most important part of this interview in relation to this blog is when the interviewer asks how Liminals decided upon their name.

Och namnet Liminals? Jag sökte på ordet och fick ett antal träffar som handlar om ”liminal beings” inom mytologin.

Både människa och djur (hybrid), både människa och ande, både levande och död (spöke), både människa och grönsak (The Green Man), både människa och maskin, både människa och alien (Spock i Star Trek). Någon gränslandsvarelse som ni känner lite extra för?

Tomas Bodén: Människa och maskin passar nog oss. Vi ser oss gärna som någonting mitt emellan, i ett gränsland. Sång och röstljud kan samplas och förvrängas så att det inte går att känna igen, bli ett instrument bland andra. Slutresultatet blir någonting organiskt. Någonting mitt emellan akustiskt och digitalt.

Anna-Karin Brus: Fast det där med blandningen mellan människa och grönsak är ju extremt roligt.

The interviewer (Mattias Jonsson) essentially asks where the name, Liminals, came from and then suggests a few strange examples of liminal beings from throughout pop-culture (Spock- human and alien and, the funniest, The Green Man- human and vegetable.) Tomas replies that human-machine fits the band's character most appropriately. He then goes on to explain that he sees the duo as something in between, in a borderland. The type of sound that the band strives for is somewhere in between organic and digital in the way that they distort sampled sound and voice to a degree which is unrecognizable, but still wholesome and vividly conscious of life.

The video itself seems to represent liminality, as suggested by Victor and Matthew Turner, authors of Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture, through a number of different means. The silhouettes of men practicing yoga seem to be frequently interrupted from achieving a state of complete absorption in their art by the constantly pulsing music and flashing of distracting scenes of falling water, amongst other motifs. The falling water is an especially interesting symbol as it represents a liminal state in which the water is within the process of falling and is never at rest.

Eventually, visualizations of the men practicing yoga die down and are predominantly replaced by a swimmer stretching in preparation for a swim. The last scene of men practicing yoga before the chill-out at 3:37 shows one man making arm movements in his practice which resembles swimming. The chill-out focuses almost solely on the swimmer and images of violently moving water. After the chill-out, the man practicing yoga seems to disengage from his liminal state as he becomes too distracted. The last scenes of him show the man blocking his ears from some sort of audible distraction in a last-ditch effort to remain in his meditative state but fails. The rest of the video focuses almost solely on the swimmer and how his meditation has kept him within the liminal state that he has been maintaining since the beginning. His state is compared to the previous success of the men practicing yoga just before he begins to focus solely on the water during the resolution.

Chris Yencha, Outside Reading 2

My second outside reading entry is from A History of Interest Rates by Sidney Homer. Thousands of years ago on the Banks Islands in the Southwest Pacific, men dealt in a currency of strings of shells. These islands developed a relatively advanced credit and currency system for the time period. What was unique about these strings of shells is that the currency had very little value except as entry into a Men's Club; however, these clubs were important as they provided for a large number of key social connections which enterprising men required in order to engage in trade. The strings of shells are interesting in and of themselves as they are a unique example of a currency which shares characteristics of both commodity money and fiat money. The shells are not assigned a value based off of the value of the commodity that they are made of (as shells were of no value alone for anything other than entrance to societal clubs) but were assigned value based off of its use as entry into the club.

Admission into a club costs many strings of shells while promotion within the club costs many times more. The most fascinating aspect of these strings of shells from the point of view of historical interest rates is that coercive debting was a common practice within the islands. Essentially, a wealthy man with many strings of shells could force another man under law to accept a loan of shells. Loans were always for a 12 month period with a 100% annual interest rate. If a man could not pay off the debt that he was forced into, he was often put to death.

Retributive gifting, as I'll refer to it for the remainder of the entry, is an example of how this ancient concept is still in existence. In ancient Rome, for existence, rulers would often give gifts to citizens. It was custom to return the gesture of giving a gift by giving a gift in return of even greater value. Thus, rulers who gave gifts often made a profit when they received gifts back.

As strange as retributive gifting may sound, it happens all the time today. Birthdays gifts are a solid example of this concept in action today.

Mt. Renier

In class, we've been talking about Mt. Rainier a lot. I don't know much about it, but it fascinates me. To me, there's nothing more beautiful then nature. Since this isn't a city with mountains surrounding it, then to see one, even though a picture, is amazing. I used to love going up to Massanutten with my Dad to go skiing because I love the mountains. Even though those don't compare at all to Rainier. I can't even imagine being in the presence of a mountain like Rainier. Also, to know its history and how destructive it is, is quite nerve racking. I would love to go visit it one day. Not necessarily climb it, but just look at it. Maybe walk around it and take in its beauty. But hiking part of it would be interesting. Knowing that a glacier could start coming down the mountain at any moment is what makes the experience. The risk is the experience.

Mask of the Holy by Diana Cox

In Lane’s book he explains the concept of the mask of the holy. He describes the mask as place or an object that conceals and hides things about God. In class today we discussed the concept of a mask and what could be a mask of the holy. For examples we looked at pictures of the mountain that was God. The mountain reveals its sublime nature through its glaciers and rocks. The top of the mountain has stacks of layers of ice and rock fused together. Over the years this ice and rock mix slowly melts turning into a rushing stream coming from above. This action reveals the mountain’s powerful abilities to change nature. In addition, the mountain reveals God’s majestic abilities to create powerful nature.
Our class also discussed several biblical references of the mask of the holy. One example was Moses meeting with God on top of the mountain. Moses had to hide himself from God. No one can directly look at God, because of his holiest and our sinful nature. Another example offered in class, was the sacred object to Christianity the Ark of the Covenant. On the top of this ark is a little spot, called the seat of mercy. Once a year the priests enter the temple into a little room called the holies of holies. The priests then pour blood on the seat of mercy for the atonement of sins of the nation. This object is also a mask of the holy and represents God’s glory and grace. The class discussion of the mask of holy, brought about several examples that helped be understand exactly what a mask is related to religious studies. Now my peers and I will be able to realize masks of holy in our different religions and in future classes.

Flow by Diana Cox

According to Turner’s book, Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture, they explain the concept of flow and what it is in reference to religious studies. Flow is defined in the book as the holistic sensation when we act in total involvement. It is a state where actions happen based on an internal logic, not on our conscious thoughts. There is no need for conscious involvement on our part, it just happens. It is where the matter of focus centers on all of the attention of a certain field. For some, flow means to give not just one hundred percent, but one hundred and ten percent. Examples of flow would be an athlete or a performer doing what they are trained to do without even thinking about. Their bodies are trained and react with what most people would call muscle memory. Being a viola player for several years, I have a greater understanding of this concept of flow. I have had experiences of playing and while reading the sheet music my fingers have automatically moved into place, without me thinking about. For musicians thinking too much about the placement of their hands will slow the process of creating music and will completely end the process of flow. Flow is part of everyday life, you probably do not even notice but everyone does some sort action that could be considered as flow.

Chelsea Huber - Lane's Axioms

Landscapes of the Sacred

The first axiom is the idea that sacred place is not chosen, it chooses you. This idea makes me think of times when I am camping and suddenly I realize that the atmosphere of my pattern of thinking has changed. When this feeling strikes me, I can see the environment around me in a new light. The nature around me has become part of my new state of mind, even though I never planned it to be.
The second axiom dictates that sacred place is ordinary place ritually made extraordinary. When I consider places that have great importance to me, spiritually, I think of sporting fields. These fields carry importance to me because of the ritual of joyous family and friends coming together at these places to cheer and love life. This feeling resides within the stadiums and it can still be felt when the game is over.
The third axiom states that sacred place can be tread upon without being entered. This axiom makes me think of how ridiculous it is that people fight over religion. Every space is interpreted differently for each and every person. What is special to one person, may be meaningless for a different person. This is just fact, so why have huge wars and massive casualties trying to convince other people that your 'space' is better and more important than theirs.
The fourth axiom speaks of the character of sacred place being both centripetal and centrifugal, local and universal. I see this axiom as the explanation for the feeling that a scared place gives us. We feel this huge connection to the world and everything in it. At the same time, we feel so important and full of life.

Noland Trail Dwain Harrison

Hiking, even though it only last a short time, the Noland trail was a rewarding experience. It helped me reconnect with nature and understand the true beauty and splendor of this creation. As I walked, something about being in the "wild" made it a truly rich and invigorating experience. While trekking the Noland trail, it was cool to see the different trees and flowers. Throughout my hike of the Noland Trail, I wondered to myself, "Why, even though the Noland Trail is located a couple miles from the heart of Newport News, do I feel so disconnected from society?". As I walked I realized the answer to this question. I understood that this was nothing like Newport News; it lacked a lot of human intervention that has dominated most of the surrounding landscape. The overall experience created a lasting impression and I plan on going to the Noland Trail again.

Chelsea Huber - Liminal Action

Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture

Turner describes pilgrimage as a liminal action, somewhere in between from where one came and to where one is going. This idea of liminal action refers to a temporary state of existence. It is a “threshold” to walk through. This stage in the thought process is a time for the comparison of internal discoveries with the greater picture of the universe.
I used to feel liminal while driving down to CNU from Reston. The drive was so long and all I thought about was what I was going to do the moment I arrived. I also thought about all the things I was leaving; family, home, pets. Now I try to live in the moment and focus on the events and feelings of the trip its self. This gives the trip more importance and I enjoy it more.
While liminal experiences are essential for growth and learning, it is stressful to never have a solid ground on which to stand. That's why the early teenage years are so straining, because the person is in between two different life stages.

Difference between Community and Communitias by Diana Cox

In the Turners’ book Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture, he explains several aspects of communitias and community for scholars. The authors try to explain it in order for readers to comprehend the difference between what communitias is and what it turns into, a community. Communitias is a relational quality of full unmediated conservation. It arises spontaneously in all kinds of groups and situations. It liberates identities from the conformity to general norms. Communitias is part of everyone’s experience; it is important to religion, literature, etc. It breaks into society through the interstices of structure in liminality. On the other hand, the definition of a community is a social group of any size whose members reside in a specific space, share government and often share a similar heritage. In most cases a community shares common characteristics or interests. Although communitias and community are defined above it is easier to understand it in simpler terms and grammatical structures. Communitias happens when people are going through the same experience (liminal process), such as a pilgrimage. Communitias is when people relate and communicate with each other without any social structures. They are only relating to each other based on their experience not their place in society. As soon as a structure starts to evolve over time from the outside is when it forms into community. A community has structure and is based on social classes. Communitias holds no prejudices but it over time leads to a place in time where social classes and hierarchy matter.
Although, all of this information is covered with the Turners’ book; it was easier to understand during our class’s discussion. As a class we reviewed these terms and broke them down into smaller concepts to understand all the aspects of communitias and communities. It is not just about understanding the basic concepts; it is about comprehending and applying these two concepts later in life or if nothing else in our papers. As result of reading the Turners’ Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture and having a class discussion I understand these concepts and how they apply to our life. The information above will help explain these terms in such a way that anyone from scholars and students to blog readers will understand them.

Lane’s three approaches by Diana Cox

In Lane’s book, Landscapes of the Sacred, he describes three different approaches for understanding a scared place. The first approach is the ontological approach which begins with field research among indigenous people, asking how time and place were understood in the earliest mythic tales and tribal wisdom. In this approach the sacred place is radically set apart from everything profane. It is a site recognized as manifesting its own inherent, chthonic power and numimosity. The sacred place is where supernatural forces invaded the ordinary. The disadvantage to this approach is that it does not recognize the sacred and profane, religion and culture as overlapping parts of the human experience.
The second approach Lane describes is the cultural approach. In this approach the sacred site is inherently posses a power drawn from which or beyond themselves. It is usually defined as a site over which conflicting parties fight or even die. However, this approach does not recognize the place itself as a participant in the formation of that experience. The last approach is the phenomenological approach, which is a way to give voice to the participant in the process of experiencing a sacred place. It is to be fully present at any locale and to recognize the reciprocity involved in touching and be touched by particular objects of nature such as plants, rocks, and geographical features.
These three approaches are ways to experience and understand a sacred place. Lane presents these approaches in such way that readers understand the concept based on his explanation and his usage of examples that bring the approaches to life. For further explanation of Lane’s approaches, our class had a discussion on each approach and how it directly deals with Lane’s axioms. These concepts are helpful for students to understand and comprehend different aspects of sacred places in our world.

Lindsay Conrad: Tree of Life, Art Ritual, and Religion.

The Tree of Life at Disney World's Animal Kingdom is a statement of art connecting all people, animals, and nature with the divine. The tree itself is constructed of that which is unnatural, so it fits the definition of van der Leeuw's architecture, but it is also a piece that brings attention to the nature surrounding an otherwise urbanized setting, so Olmstead would appreciate the beauty and design of the creation.
In religious terms, the Tree of Life connects with St. Francis of Assisi. He was a saint in the Catholic church who was a friend to all animals and in tunr was kind to nature. the ability to unite with the nature and animals is a peace and a sense ot redemption that van der Leeuw seeks in his art.
Inside the Tree of Life is a show about different animals, mostly bugs, who are working and living in the world. Ther bees are creating honey, and during the show the seats int he audience are jiggled by the bees (sensation of being stung). This goes along iwth the ritual dancing of the bees as a necessity in order to survive. Overall, the Tree of Life is an interesting concept t hat seems to embody quite a few of the things we had talked about in class, so it was worthy of a little blogging!

Chelsea Huber - The Giver

Outside Reading

Yes, the novel by Lois Lowry, The Giver, is an easy read. However, I maintain that this story as well as Lowry's Gathering Blue are highly thought provoking. In The Giver , Jonas comes from a world of sameness and no concept of sacredness, or even love. He is chosen to learn of the ancient people (us) who lived in a world of diversity. He learns through experiencing events through the transfer of memories. I am interested in the profound effect that scenery had on Jonas. He had never known 'weather' or 'hills'. Even 'color' and 'animals' were new to him. The book perfectly captures how amazing these things are that we take for granted. Color is truly amazing. There is nothing else like it, perhaps music, in a way. Our sacred places of today's world tend to be special in appearance. These places can often amaze us, like the view from atop a massive mountain. Jonas experiences this feeling of sacred place on every level, like we never could. In Gathering Blue, Kira must travel a difficult path to discover how to make the dye 'blue'. This shows the human need for beauty and how it connects to our extraordinary experiences in the sacred places in our lives.

Gianandrea Heyer: Visit to the "Rhone Glacier"

I went this summer to the Rhone Glacier, in the middle of the Swiss Alps with my uncle, who is an alpine expert. It is about 1 hour of car away from my home town, Lugano. The road to go up is rough. The Glacier is at around 2200 meters of height and about 20 KM2 ( around 5000 acres), and is named after the big river Rhone, that crosses half Europe. We arrived there in this sunny June day, and could notice how it retired over time.There are pictures and milestones that show how it has been shrinking over time. Since 1850 it became 1.3 Km ( 0.8 miles) smaller. It is impressive to assist at that in person. I felt so bad. It feels like a man without a leg. I stood ther for a while, thinking about how that could happen. Then we went up and went into a tunnel inside the glacier. It is something very exciting, because you feel like you are in the heart of the glacier. As soon as you walk in, you can hear the glacier cracking from the sun. The tunnel is about 100 meters long. Once we came out, we climbed over the glacier, had some good feelings of being in touch with the nature, ate there. It was a strange feeling because we were enjoying the moment, but at the same time, we knew that in 10 years, the glacier will be even smaller, and would probably disappear by the end of the century.

Nate Morris - Natural Setting (1)

Thursday morning, I awoke to the sounds of howling winds and driving rain. I walked down the stairs to see that the front yard had been completely overtaken by water, it was, essentially, a lake. It was a strange experience, having to tread through feet of water to leave the house and maintain physical contact with the rest of the outside world. So often we take for granted how serene the world around us often is. Many individuals in the region were taken by surprise by this Nor'easter which roared up the coast, leaving damage and death in its wake. Here at CNU, at least in the on campus houses, the prospect of flooded roadways, fallen trees, destroyed awnings, and collapsed ceilings was unthinkable on Wednesday night, but became reality as the storm raged on. It was so fascinating that our perception of normalcy could have been turned upside down by the will of nature. Never did we expect to be able to skim board across our lawns, or to have to cope with water causing portions of the ceiling to collapse, or for trees to fall on cars and block the main roadway, but it did. It was, and is, a testament to the utter force, power, and unpredictability of nature. Shortly after the storm, the winds died, and the water receded. While nature returned to normal, we were left to pick up the pieces. It just proved, that no matter what we may think, or how we may act, we are not in control, nature is.

Chelsea Huber - Noland Trail 1

Natural Setting

Being away from home and solitude makes me appreciate the Noland trail in many ways. “People are drawn to nature in direct proportion to their sense of separation from it” (Lane, 220).

The Noland trail speaks to me in ways that no human being ever could. There is no judging on the trail, only new insights to be gained.
One of my favorite things on the Noland trail is the wildlife. Being away from home and my pets really makes me miss the energy and attention that can only be given by animals. There are certainly no fuzzy house cats on the trail but people are often walking their dogs and happily accept my requests of snuggling. The turtles in the lakes also brighten my day. I love looking at their prehistoric bodies and contemplating how long they have been on this earth. Many of the turtles have acquired an interest in human beings on the bridges, perhaps from being fed so often. I wonder what the turtles see and think when they approach my position on the bridge. Do they know I am another living being who eats and sleeps like they do?

Chelsea Huber - Lane's Three Approaches

Landscapes of the Sacred

Lane has three approaches for understanding the medicine wheel as sacred.
The first approach is called ontological. This approach looks at time and place throughout the history of a culture. This could be the stories that grandmas tell their children and their children's children. Or, the pictures of great geographical places that have been drawn on the inside of cave walls. No matter how the message is carried down, it builds up power and influence.
The second approach is the cultural approach. This approach claims that a sacred place is somewhere "people are willing to fight and even die [for]" (Lane 43). This is most clearly viewed in the situation of Israel, where people have been willing to die for the land for centuries. This extreme value shows that the culture is putting a lot of emphasis on the sacredness of the land.
The third approach is called the phenomenological approach. This view places the emphasis not on the history of the culture of a place, but rather the topographical and geographical importance of the land. This approach is most interested in how the place its self is sacred, unrelated to the happenings or ideas of humans. I feel as though it is difficult to separate the notion of humans interacting with place and sacredness.

Kelly Hayes, Natural Setting 2

I took the time to observe the destruction from the storm at a local lake the other day. The strom left many natural things displaced from their usual hiding places. It seemed that everything there was in complete salvage mode. The animals were worked their way around the fallen trees and struggling to find food in the abnormally high water. People had it worse. We still haven't seemed to get it together when it comes to prevention from natural disasters. I think humans still have an invincible attitude towards nature which is ignorant and naive. We need to take preventitive measures from things like this because nature can fix itself. It is much more extensive for us to rebuild a fallen house than it is for nature to deal with a fallen tree. The fallen tree becomes incorporated into the landscape, allowing living things to take residence there and even the decaying parts to be used by some organism. All these things came to mind as I watch the lake. I know nothing there will change. It is part of the natural cycle that has come and gone so many times the animals have become accustom to it. It is us that needs to change our way of thinking and learn from this. But unfortunately, we will never be ready for the perfect storm.

Chelsea Huber - Storm Sticks

Topic of Choosing

After the great storm of last week, I took a walk outside to check out the effects of all that rain and wind. Yards were completely flooded, and abandoned bicycles lay in these new two feet deep lakes. Sticks and fallen branches littered the lawns of Newport News homeowners. My friend and I took delight at this easy access to new flammable fodder for our fire pit in his yard. As we walked, we picked up more and more branches in our arms and carried them along the road towards his house. Oh what a warm fire we will have once the branches dry out!
The road was papered in leaves from a variety of trees; maples, oaks, poplars, and heart-shaped red bud leaves. They are beautiful, before everyone steps on them, turning the path into a slimy mess. I kept slipping on the multi-colored leaf residue that began to simply look brown.
I wondered how the construction workers on campus feel about such stormy weather. Do they sit in their homes dreading the sight of all their hard work destroyed in a wet pile? I hope nothing got ruined. I especially hope that no mold got into the walls of our new buildings.

Chris Yencha- Natural Setting 1

Rain is a bummer. I'm not a particularly outdoorsy person but when I am essentially forced to stay indoors for too long, I start to get a little antsy. Thankfully, the sun came out today in full force and I was able to open my window without being assaulted by a deluge. During most days, when Mother Nature decides to be a reasonable queen, I walk to and from class and play games and spend my days normally without any thought of the weather; however, on the rare occasion that a torrent strikes, or a snowstorm or any other particularly threatening natural occurrence (tsunami! yikes), I am forced to remember the immense power of Nature. Although it doesn't always seem too apparent to us, human beings are small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things. We have been blessed with a relatively large cognitive capacity and an adequate mass to essentially rule over every creature and thrive in any environment on Earth. We forget sometimes that there are greater powers in this world to which we do not always pay heed.
Every other time I walk to accounting class for the remainder of the semester, I probably will not have to shield my eyes from a horizontal downpour (I thought this was a pretty humerous way to describe the rain when I was fighting against it on Thursday) or brace myself against heavy wind; however, I hope I don't get caught off guard one day by taking for granted the force of powers which are beyond my ability to resist.

Kelly Hayes, Natural Setting 1

Upon our visit to the Noland Trail, it reminded me of the place I often retreat to for peace and quiet. Although the Noland trail was absolutely gorgeous, it is a little crowded with people who share my need for quiet time. A little further down Jefferson is the Newport News Par with contains a 3.2 mile trail, beginning with a half-mile long bridge across the Newport News resevoir. For 2 months I ran this trail daily, allowing it to be my escape as well as my punishment. The run is grueling, up and down hills with roots sticking up everywhere, more than once I have hurt myself here. But I continue to go back because I cannot get away from the complete isolation and the feeling of immersing myself in the wild. I often began by observing the turtles swimming in the underwater vegetation and the ducks splashing near the shore. The deer, sometimes up to 15 of them, come right up to the trail and beckon you to pass. A snake once curled up in the middle of the trail, causing me to come to a complete hault. There I am vulnerable. I have no phone, no water, no obvious connection to help for miles. It is here I can be myself. Here, I am able to run, think, regroup and regain my strength for the next day. It is places like this that you personally hold sacred. This is my sacred landscape.

Lane's axioms applied to time: Katrina Thralls

I wanted to test Lane’s axioms to find out how far they would stretch the definition of “place.” I decided to test place in time, specifically the spring equinox, when many wiccans and neopagans celebrate Ostara. Firstly, the neopagans obviously did not choose when the spring equinox should arise; it is as far out of their power as anything could be. The sacred place chose them. Secondly, the spring equinox could be any other time, but it is made extraordinary by the rituals of Ostara (and others). Thirdly, many of us “tread” through the spring equinox yearly, without recognizing or entering it as sacred. Finally, we are all literally pulled toward and away from the spring equinox annually through the cycles of the seasons.

Flow: Nina Salzberg

When we learned about the concept of flow, I automatically knew what it meant. I may not understand it as a religious experience, but I experience it in a different way. I've been an artist since as long as I can remember. In my high school years till now, I've become more in depth with my work and take my time on it. Sometimes when I'm painting/drawing/sculpting, or whatever else, I experience flow. To me, when I'm making artwork, flow comes to me when I least expect it. I'll be stuck on an idea and won't know where to go from that point, then all the sudden flow takes over. I get in a state of mind where I loose track of time and don't really know the outcome. It's kind of like someone/something takes over me and knows what to do. For hours I can sit at my desk and draw and not even realize what I'm doing. I know I'm drawing, and I know the general concept I want to make, but my mind takes over my body. My imagination takes over my hands and tells me what to draw. Once I'm done or out of the flow state, I realize I've been in the flow state. Because I step back and look at my artwork and think "I did this? What?"

Nolan Trail: Part 2 by: Diana Cox

The trail is a pathway that winds around a majestic lake. This pathway teaches and influences so many to appreciate the beauty of nature. As a student I noticed the wonders of nature and the influence it has on all who pass. The gorgeous amount of colors and beauty influenced me personally to appreciate the nature around Christopher Newport University’s campus. There are so many who work hard to create the wonders of nature on the very campus I live on. I appreciate all that they do; in fact I have taken many pictures of the CNU campus because of the amount of natural beauty. These pictures illustrate the different seasons and the nature that influence the campus yearly. The spring and summer bring the newest of life around campus with blooming of flowers and plants. The fall brings out the richest of colors that brighten the day. The winter is dark and dreary but the white snow brings an atmosphere of peace and natural beauty. The pictures are only a small view point of what God’s creation can look like in our own lives. Take a moment and look around at what God has created around you.

The Nolan Trail: Diana Cox

So many people forget the beauty of nature. Having an opportunity to experience the true beauty of God’s creation during class was inspiring. God’s nature can be experienced on so many levels. Many travelers of the Nolan trail walk gingerly along the path quietly admiring the nature around them. Some travelers run violently through the path concentrating on what lies ahead. Although travelers experience the trail differently, they all experience God’s creation. Many may not notice the ground they walk on, but it holds history of past visitors. Each visitor takes a piece of the trail (dirt) with them on their journey through the day. It might just be soil or dirt but the thing that all walk upon is covered with vibrant green. The green meadows of the Nolan trail illustrate the beauty of God’s creation. The thin crisp grass blades that cover the ground show God’s unique ability to design the smallest of plants. The framing plants of the trail illustrate how God can place a plant in the darkest of shadows and even provide light enough light to provide life. The flowers and berries show God’s many options on his creation color wheel. The mighty trees that surround the trail provide their shade and shadows to protect those in need. The surrounding areas of the trail that so many see show the importance of nature in everyday life. The plants and trees give off oxygen and supplement for all animals. The plant life of the trail offers support for so much without any thing in return. As part of God’s creation we should respect the nature given to us; we should offer it help. We should not spoil or damage what God has given to us we should try to save it.

Chris Yencha, Landscapes of the Sacred 1

When class met at the Lion's Gate Bridge a few weeks ago, I will be first to admit that I was not looking forward to taking the time to walk all the way down to the site to spend class. I had a meeting immediately after class and was a little aggravated at the possibility of not making it back in time. However, I tried to immerse myself in the experience as much as possible. On the walk there, I greeted everyone I passed on the trail and tried to immerse myself into the journey. I was disappointed that most people whom I walked past seemed to find me very strange for acknowledging that the two of us had just crossed paths. Communitas certainly did not seem to exist on the Noland, so I began to try to engage myself with the ambiance as much as I could to little avail. Forcing myself to attempt to appreciate a particular leaf or tree for the sake of enjoying the class was pointless and probably counter-productive.
I finally made it to the bridge and was a little frustrated to discover that I was about thirty minutes early. I already was not enjoying the point of this class period and it had not even begun yet. I approached the water near a large tree by the bridge and took a seat. For some reason, I felt compelled to climb up the tree. The next 30 minutes up in that tree looking out over the water, watching the awkward ducks swimming around and feeling the cool breeze of the afternoon was one of the most relaxing periods that I had experienced in weeks.
Sacred Place is not chosen, it chooses. Once class began, I felt much more naturally emerged in the trail. I had been trying too hard to gain something from the experience of walking along the trail until the tree allowed me to relax and appreciate the journey. I had a great afternoon and was not even late for my meeting!

PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death, and God - Lindsay Conrad

I have to admit that I am a HUGE fan of the PostSecret movement by Frank Warren. Don't know what it is? A few years ago, this dude named Frank started a postcard sending process where people write their secrets and send them to him. From that he has made a website and has recently published a book called Confessions on Life, Death, and God. More info? Visit www.postsecret.com.
Anyways, his latest book fits pretty well with the class. The secrets people have sent in are very much in line with religion and art. The secrets range from no belief in God to such a strong belief it is often handicapping. Each postcard is specifically designed for a purpose, and some of the postcards contain specially written prayers. Many are seeking redemption, which easily fits in with van der Leeuw's concept of image and how we approach creations of religious art from redemption. MAny people who create the beautiful and intricate cards are seeking a connection with the other that is often mentioned and are in hopes of something bigger than themselves. I wonder how many of the pepole realize that their plea to God is indeed a piece of artwork that is valued, connected with, and a true expression of faith or no faith.