Event # 4: Basketball, The Sport

Today Tuesday, November 22, 2011, I went to watch the basketball game between the Briar Cliff – Chargers against the Doane – Tigers.

During its development I was sitting next to a neighbor from the residence and I was able to recognize some of my life aspects that I had not remember from childhood (when I used to play basketball).

At the beginning, our team the Chargers was really good and we were up for more than 12 points.  Later on, the team got distracted and maybe overconfident, we begin to fail on the scoring and the other team began to catch up. By the second half, the Tigers had catch up, and after a while they were with more than 20 points ahead.  

Thanks to the game, I remembered how special is the relationship between each one of the teammates  (between them and also with coach).

As the plot of the game went on, I was able to see how the players placed all their energy in their shots and passes, and how each one of them created a unique conception of a game inside their minds.  In their eyes the objective was focused in scoring, but outside of it, the mind of the players was at other place.  Some of them, were probably thinking about the coach’s pressure, feeling the directions of his voice on their minds.  Others were maybe thinking about their relationship to the audience, to their team or to their family and friends who were at the bleachers.  Others, perhaps moved to their future success as basketball players, they even thought about their physical world and their connection to the ball.  

This and much more, connected the 31 individuals with their teams.  Inside a place where millions of feelings were all carried by a single ball.

In every second and every point, there was a pursued experience of sports and there is an achieved feeling of timelessness during action.

At the end when the players are inside the court, the only thing that matters is the satisfaction of making the sport happen.  Your goal becomes nothing else but the connection of your team against your opponent’s.

Is Francis's Stigmata an example of a miracle or is it false? Think about your answer and give the opposite response

It is a false assertion because there is no way a human can get injuries without having some physical interaction with his/her surrounding.  Still, a stigmata is something we read and hear about.  As a person who believes in science, in proofs and in eye witness I think that this kind of stories will just confuse people and leave them unstable.  Myths are created by stories that appear obscure and unreasonable.  A temporal definition of truth is: reality exposed by the being that agrees with the present facts (internal or external) plus one or several imposition aim.  It might or it might not have an aim but it might only be ego.  Truth is only what humans live by their own and until nothing supernatural occurs to them myths will be unreal.  For the same reason I believe only in experience and logical explanations.  I cannot speak clearly about this subject for the same reason that it is something subjective.  Maybe someone invented the story which became a legend, then a myth, a passion, and  the passion a later becomes a stigmata that will later go back to a myth.  Another probable explanation is that some bad people inflicted the stigmata to him and for his passion, faith and devotion, Saint Francis did not spoke about them.  After this, the people inspired for his relationship to Jesus Christ wrote that his wounds had appeared magically.

Event # 3 - Play: Detestable Madness

Play: Detestable Madness
Briar Cliff University Theater department
Directed by Jenna Soleo-Shanks
Play by Hrotsvit of Gandersheim
Sunday October 29. 7:30pm

I went by myself to the play and I found around some friends I know from around (there were about 30 people inside).  The atmosphere was cool, there was some background music and all the people arriving.
The play was really interesting, in act 1 the story of "Calimachus" talked about a man that fell in love of Drusiana (a chastised married woman) who in response to her moral values was unable to confront her feelings.  Calimachus (Patrick Cisar) did not cared she was married and neither chaste, he was passionate and devoted.  In this part of the play Drusiana (Alyssa Keller) through her dance demonstrated anxiety and martyrdom, she struggled between desire and morality.  She died of repressed passion, and later this together was this same consequence for Calimachus' dead, who was audacious and revealing till the end.
During the play, there were several symbolic characters: a snake, which was representation of evil and sin; Saint John (the priest) who represented morality and faith.  Another character, Fortunatus, who used a mask with a big and exaggerated ugly nose, he was against the system, and represented an immoral and resigned person.  At the end, after Calimachus, Drusiana and even Fortunatus were resurrected.   Fortunatus did not accepted his reality, he did not wanted to overcome his greed and his jealousy so he died once again.
In the second play a story about a Sapientia and her three daughters.   During the play the four of them confronted a Roman Emperor who wanted to change them to their faith.  The three girls named Fides, Spes, and Karitas (from Fidelity, hope, and charity) refused to show any reverence to the king's gods.  As the meaning of their names, they remained faithful to their mother's faith, to Christianity.  After it, they with hope and later with charity, one by one was tortured and killed until their mother was left by herself with the heads of her three daughters.
In words, in action and in dramatic expression, the characters demonstrated feelings and ironies that easily connected to the audience self.  At the end, with a long recitation, the characters all together made the audience feel connected in some way to the cast.  I wish I could have identified what was everything that they said, they where very profound but they used some English that was kind of difficult for me to understand.
As some other events similar to this that I have went before, there was a feeling of satisfaction at the end.  I got to know a little bit more about the human being, about myself and about society around, is part of the feeling that I most liked about it.

Revolution

I think a revolution is a way of fighting actively against oppression within the environment you are living in.  A revolution begins when a person and a group of people who live inside a functioning system, use their human interaction to act contrary from the regular way the system works in order to attain a change and a feeling of achievement.  Human beings are in constant pursue of satisfaction and development.  There is a constant evolution of adaptation and most of the times they act in response to a stimulus from the outside world.  By using their instinct and knowledge humans attain common goals among other individuals from their society (an environment were the same resources and ideologies are shared).  At some point, a revolution can be a continual chain of reactions that sometimes is obstructed by greater power.  Most of the times revolutions are subjective and follow ideals that may come from artistic origins in which the human being is able to create and discover new life perspectives.

Cultural Event 2: St. Francis Center; Sr. Muriel Ford Lecture featuring Shane Clairborne

October 23; 7:30pm; 

• The title of the event.   -Sr. Muriel Ford Lecture featuring Shane Clairborne
• Date/time of the event. -October 23; 7:30 p.m.
  
• Where were you sitting at the event?  During the event I was sitting next to a girl who I didn't know.  I did find some people I know around me but this time I was particularly alone. 
  
• Who else was at the event?  -Among all of us there were a lot of parents that had come for family weekend and in fact they were the ones that asked questions at the end.
• Briefly describe what this event was about (what happened).  -Mr. Clairborne talked about his life as a Humanitarian Helper, as a Jesus follower and as someone who tries to live in community.  He gave us a couple of examples from Mother Teresa, from children around the world and from people around him that have offered their money to aid orphan children.  He also explained about his project of giving shelter for homeless people and he gave us a couple examples of how people around the world worked their way for relieving some of the results of the world´s violence.
• What was your reaction to this event?   I felt that Shane had a very strong reason to live for.  He helps the homeless and he believes in working as a community to help others.  I think about how much I have to value and share the opportunities of our life.  There is also reflection about how important it is for us to maintain our world in harmony and peace.  It is not easy to maintain yourself in a certain faith of living for the others.  The lesson I get from here is that we are never alone, that we should act and give with love.
• Did your reaction seem to match the experiences of those around you?  I did not talk about the event with others, there was only one friend who told me he thought it was good, I think I could have get more opinions.
  
• What happened that was similar to/different to your experience of this type of event in the past?  Sometimes when someone tells you about this kind of actions of bravery and generosity, there is this feeling inside you that makes you rethink if you are actually doing something for the needed.  This time I accepted that there are certain things that are not beneficial for anyone like blaming your self for everything.  Change without thinking twice.  Help your friends, advice them when needed and accept the help from your people.

2. What did you find particularly enlightening or disturbing from the video, How can you spot an illegal immigrant?

In the video from youtube "How can you spot an illegal immigrant", Rick Sanchez interviews Sheriff Joe Arpaio and discusses the basis for determining illegality on immigrant people. It is inhuman the fact that discrimination for appearance, nationality or skin color takes place.

If there is an immigration problem where people from other countries have managed to cross the frontier, it means that these people are unsatisfied in the place that they are living in.  There is a fear that with Arizona’s law, discrimination and racism increments. 

The Governor of Arizona Jawn Brewer says: "the Law will be enforced civilly, fairly and without discriminatory points.”  This is the main goal of the "law", to provide justice for everyone inside a community.

The sides are defined (immigrants and citizens), boarders may be divided, but as a question of history, our human rights and the conscience of freedom and respect should be applied.  It is important to get different opinions, listen to the community and unify the voices of the people.  As human beings, we are no different from one another; we all live in the same world.

Francis Stripping Naked

What does Francis's decision to strip away the last remnants of his worldly possessions in public tell us about Francis?  How does the public nature of this moment change / alter its significance?


Francis strips away his last possessions and gives it to his father, he makes a choice of leaving all the worldly materials.  At this time, Francis had already lived a poor and homeless life in which he found himself naked to the greed and rudeness of the people around him.  When he decides to strip away I believe that he is doing it with a feeling of renunciation and acceptance of God´s will.  Anything that comes to his life, any decision that people made around him was welcome to this moment into his life.  We don't know that much about how people thought of nakedness in that time, we know that usually they called him a lunatic and that when he was asking for rocks for rebuilding the church they threw the rocks at him along with mud.  They might have thought that he was pervert or an unconscious person since he was doing it in front of the bishop and all the people.  At the end Franci's father leaves with his money and his sons clothes and probably this touched the heart of some people.

1 DEAD IN ATTIC

What was your favorite essay/anecdote from 1 Dead in Attic? What was it that intrigued you about the essay/anecdote that you’ve chosen?  In what ways has the writer, Chris Rose, identified himself within the essay and how does his identity factor into his perspectives and point of view about the subject?

Pg. 56 Title: 1 Dead in Attic – 11/15/05

I have always been intrigued and touch by themes about memory and present times.  When someone thinks about memories and the present, sometimes there is a different way of seeing it.  Memories could be what you have left started but is not done yet, they are left in the past but allow you to survive in the future.  On certain events people tend to live the present experience with different perspectives.  A Master of Meditation from India once used this example: as in a movie, some people will like the landscapes, others will be focused in the colors or the music and others will be touched by the dialogues… after leaving the cinema there are going to be different opinions.  

In the present there are times in which you are not focused into some perspectives, some are forgotten and others are lost by your way of capturing the event.  Even though, together as a family you will all be sharing the same movie… how will the perspectives change the personal concept and life of the movie? 

At the beginning of the chapter, the author explains how he lives in this imaginary world were things seem to go as normal and functioning as they used to be.  Then he talks about his tendency of going back to his destroyed city, a place where he finds the house that was spray painted by the National Guards with the phrase: “1 DEAD IN ATTIC”.   He reflects about this sign as if it was something common around, as if it was not real in a way and as if it was part of his daily life.  After this, he tries to recreate the story of the dead person in the attic of that house, he asks himself whether or not he met this person in his past.  

All he is able to do right now is go back to the terrible scenery of his destroyed town.  There he finds himself inside terrible memories of his people and their lives...

He talks about some group of families called the Mardi Gras Indians, of how their families had returned to their homes and gave them some color with feathers, suits and sequins at their front doors.  After seeing this, he realizes that he didn’t really pay attention to these symbols in his past.  “I could have learned something about a people whose history is now but a sepia mist over back-of-town streets and neighborhoods that nobody’s ever heard of and where nobody lives and nothing ever happens anymore; a freeze-frame still in the air, a story of what we once were.” (Page 60)

Service Project Missouri Park Cleaning day

In our service project this week, you gave of your time and energy to benefit those in need.  Does this qualify as altruism?  How does the expenditure of human resources, time, and/or services relate to the financial donations such as those undertaken by those who have made the Giving Pledge?  Those who make micro-loans?

After Cleaning up some of the destruction and mess the flood in the Missouri Park had caused, as freshman partners we felt the lack of human labor that exists at this kind of catastrophes.  It is sad but at the same time motivating the fact that we were the largest group which had offered help in the labor done at the park. 

The feeling I sensed is that sometimes there is no spot for a “lack” of altruism… in a situation like this in a minute that you stop walking towards the goal during the hours left you would realize that you will freeze your self and start thinking how much work, how much time is left to be done… that’s not the important thing, or even begin asking yourself: “Am I actually doing a difference?” 

On the other hand if you become a proactive person and begin sharing your humanity, your heart and your communication you will find out that all the physical activity was just an art of team working.

Like in the Giving Pledge people like George Lucas having faith in education and progress by putting his money and effort into this area, helps the world, we all as freshman students used our service, our heart and our faith to make the working day the more active and positive we were able to.

Now the Missouri Park is still in need of cleaning, people that can help cleaning up the mud and restoring the playground and baseball areas could still make groups for making its rehabilitation possible.

The activity done: http://cliffnewsnet.org/node/210

BCU Cultural/Community Event 1

Today it was the first time I have joined a Mass meeting and in fact, it was a good experience.  The name of the event is The Feast of St. Francis of Assisi it was at 3:30pm on Tuesday October 4, 2011. 

Before, I was used to go to Catholic Churches in Ecuador.  I find it quite different since now I am kind of separated from my family.  Here my friends at Briar Cliff University are my family. 

As the third time I went to this Church (the first time was a Sunday Ashes and the second was at the Freshman Convocation Ceremony) again, I find it beautiful how the Choir sings and joins voices with the people in the church.  Beautiful it is to close your eyes in peace and ask for your loved ones, to say thanks and grace for our world. 

I really don’t know the names of the rituals in English but anyway I did feel part of the prayers and the faith of Catholic Franciscans.  People I know, friends and faces I recognize were sitting around me... a lot of people that I know their names and some of their faces sang a great song called “Make Me An Instrument of Thy Peace”.

As a common ritual we shared peace by shaking hands and repeating “Peace be with you” and this guy who I know by face said, “Peace be with you Omar”, (I did not know his name).  The fact that I don’t know people names makes me quite uncomfortable, I know that names are not difficult to remember but when you know a lot of people, some faces, names and events you live are mixed with the environment (you don’t focus enough).  As the time goes by, new experiences are shared between us and we continue learning between each other.

The fact that values like faith, humanism and respect are shared, is what allows us to keep going towards our goals throughout our lives.  When it gets hard, when it gets kind of difficult to value beauty and goodness in our world, faith is a good place to rely on.

Quiz 2

quiz #2 Francis tries to inspires other to give up all possessions, to give anyone who needs it more(the poor). He and his companies would recive any money and they actually eat from the food that people would offer, meaning that they would live only of the people that were altruistic. 2. 3. In "what should a billionaire give's article the without talks about example of different billionaire people giving Millions of money to the poor. He says that for some people 10% of the money they give would be too much and For others too small... In places and countries where people are really poor they will not care from who or how the aid Was given since they are just worried for feeding their children. The reasons of why Bill Gates, or a richer man donate And which of them is more altruistic at end is not something we should measure.

Reminds Beauty and Life

Identity Photo
took it from: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2426/5710269595_d001721e7f.jpg

Identity Post

During the last couple of days, I had begin living a new life outside of home, Quito-Ecuador.  There is a lot going on in my mind, how will I make friends, advices from people back in Ecuador, detaching my family, making a new one (finding one among my friends). 

I question to myself... when do I really get to know someone? Is it when I first meet? When I look into their eyes, when I know their name, or when I get a profound conversation.  

I have been talking and getting to know people in different ways this week, trying to interact, knowing their interests, or just sharing them...  I have got to know some people for their different activities they are used to make, like jobs, clases or places that they have to be in... And I know that if I am kind and transparent and I try to enter in their eyes, I could actually get to know a part of who they are.  Usually there are all this formats of seeing life.... there are things like age, careers, hobbies, interests, life experiences that gets us to the point of knowing who we are or where we are... But is it real? Things like time? Places were we interact...? Or it is all apparent?  I would say that choices, real life expectations and essential origins (like human history) are that kind of things that define our identities. 

So who really I am?  Why I am here?  This is actually the way I might think… Am I all of this choices that I make, that make a way, a path and a human road towards destiny? 

I am actually kind of worried now about people that now know my name while I don´t know theirs… they had created this identity for myself and me to themselves so that we could interact in between.  It is like if all of the rules that we follow as a community, some of the prejudice that we have for our cultures, our countries and our time is what is actually enabling most of interaction.  Now, what should I say about this words?  I can say that we are more involved with the universe of rules (this human universe of rules) and to the cultural beliefs than I thought we where.

I can also say that we are also connected with our feelings, our decisions and that energy that we put of ourselves towards the physical and spiritual world.  Can we actually change it all around ourselves?  Believe it so… But the world keeps spinning, others identity fills the air out, my body works in certain way in this present, I am looking to my computer, to this words and I am also in a room where there are certain artworks that connect to something from my past, my present and my future.  There are this bricks that are covered with white painting… I can´t see them but I know there are bricks inside it.