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.