Week 2: Essay- The Real Perks of Being an English Major

(Comic by Jacob Andrews- forlackofabettercomic.com)

This comic hit just too close to home... but not for me, for some of my friends. I only know two or three people who are just English majors. I don't say "just" contemptuously, but I mean that most English majors I know are either double-majored or are on a Pre-Law track or something else. Most people don't go to a university for a "classical" education anymore. Instead, most people opt for a practical major that all but guarantees a job right out of college, like engineering or accounting. Why is that? This cartoon shows us in the most sarcastic way possible.

The kid we see in this cartoon has it all: girls, job offers(plural!), even influence with the President, but most importantly lots and lots of money. So why is this satire? Most English majors I know are hoping to get any job out of college, let alone a super  high paying, glamorous one. Despite what the bottom left panel says, the ability to analyze a Shakespearean play is just not that marketable.  Obviously, the "Perks of Being an English Major" shown are not what really comes with an English degree. As a Letters major, even if I am Pre-Med, I have a little bit of an idea of the real "perks" of being an English major.

I've probably read more old English literature than I could ever possibly use. Most of the super impressive words I have in my vocabulary will never be used in anything but a term paper, because most of my friends wouldn't understand them.  I've more than likely lost time of my life from the hours of sleep I've lost reading and writing papers hours before the deadline. These definitely don't sound like perks, but I would never change my Letters degree for a Science or Engineering one. Sure I'm still Pre-Med, but Letters has allowed me to study some great works of literature and learn a lot more than just marketable skills. I think my degree has made me more well-rounded and prepared me for more than just a job. It's forced me to think critically and appreciate great works of art, even if they're not altogether useful. English, or Letters, may not be the most practical major ever, but they are definitely not worthless.

Week 2: Storytelling- Phaethon's Misadventures

The Palace of The Sun- The world is literally up in flames after Phaethon, the son of sun god Phoebus and the mortal Clymene, arrogantly attempted to take the reins of his father's immortal horses. The root all of the trouble of the past twenty-four hours can be traced back to the boy's boasting of his lineage. His mother had this to say.

"He came home in tears one day, because he and his close friend Epaphus were boasting of the godly father, but that stupid Inachus kid didn't believe that he was the son of Phoebus like I'd told him. He was so devastated! What was I supposed to do?! So I told him where his Dad lived, and he left before I could say another word."

Clearly, this young man had issues stemming from lack of father figure in his early stages of childhood. Where else would the insecurity masked by arrogance come from? It is obvious that his distraught mother is not to blame for any of the following events. She merely told her son what she thought he deserved to know. Little did she know that she had sent him to a disgraceful and premature death.

Eye-witnesses that were present at the Palace of the Sun god when the troubled boy arrived recounted these events to me. Winter, with his white hair blackened, was the most out-spoken of those who were willing to talk to me.

"That stupid kid came in thinking he was such a big deal being Phoebus' son. Doesn't he know that his dad has probably raped countless other mortals?! Probably not I guess. Then Phoebus  promised that spoiled little brat anything he wanted. He swore on the Stygian Lake. I What an id-- Wait... I guess he's my boss, so whatever."

(Painting of Phaethon by Gustave Moreau)

No doubt the god regretted his promise as soon as he made it. How could he have guessed that his son would have asked for the one thing he should never get. The son asked to drive his chariot for the day. Phaethon definitely did not have the strength or experience to handle those horses. Not even the almighty Zeus could have managed to drive those horses through the sky. The whole world was witness to what happened next. The young man lost control of the horses and scorched the earth with its flames. Zeus himself was forced to intervene, tragically killing the boy with one of his thunderbolts. Luckily, the world was saved from utter ruin by Zeus' act, but at such a high cost. Phoebus Apollo was noticeably shaken when I spoke with him.

"I... I feel so responsible. Why did I let him do it? I could've done things so differently. He could still be alive... That poor kid was never going to be able to drive that chariot! Why did I have to swear of the river styx? Why?!"

We are left to wonder. Is the young son of Pheobus to blame, or is it his immortal father who will cease to mourn him whenever he finds the next mortal that suits his fancy? Either way, the young boy lost his live, and the world escaped a close call.

Author's Note:

This story is based on Ovid's myth of the son of Phoebus, Phaethon, foolish attempts to drive his father's chariot through the sky. Obviously the mortal boy was unable to handle the massive horses, and he nearly destroyed the whole world in flame. In hopes of saving the world, Zeus was forced to kill him. I thought this story would translate well to a breaking news article, because it would be pretty newsworthy in ancient times. This is a news article based on Ovid's stories: Phaethon and the Sun, Phaethon's Ride and The Death of Phaethon...

Story source: Ovid's Metamorphoses, translated by Tony Kline (2000).

Week 2: Reading Diary- Ovid I

Here are some of my thoughts on the first section of  Ovid's Metamorphoses...

Deucalion and Pyrrha:

I think the most interesting part about this story for me, as a Christian, is its resemblance to the Abrahamic story of Noah and the flood. Both stories depict an angry god, or gods in this case, disappointed in humanity enough to wipe it off the face of the earth with a flood. Luckily for humanity though, a honorable and just man and woman survive the disaster to recreate the human race. Deucalion and Pyrrha, children of the Titans, are the equivalent of Adam and Eve in Greek Mythology.

(Illustration by Virgil Solis)

Lo:

 From what I've learned about Zeus in all of my past reading of Greek myth, his inability to control his lust always causes problems. This story is no different. If he hadn't raped Lo, then he wouldn't have had to change her into a cow to spare her from Juno's wrath. Then he wouldn't have had to send Mercury to kill Argus. The only positive, if it can be called one, is that Argus' death led to Juno's creation of the peacock. It all ends with Lo returning to her normal form, but it was a pretty big hassle for everyone involved!

Phaethon and the Sun:

From this part of Phaethon's story, all I get is that he is an arrogant little kid, who doesn't know what he is getting himself into. He gets his feelings hurt because people don't think his father is Apollo. For this, he asks to drive the sun, and puts the whole world at risk. Why are the characters of Greek myth so immature?

Phaethon's Ride:

Just like Apollo predicted, Phaethon is destroying heaven and earth with fire due to his inability to control the chariot. It seems in all these stories that the innocent people suffer at the hands of foolish gods and their children. Like every kid who has bitten off more than they can chew, Phaethon just hopes his mistake isn't his last.

The Death of Phaethon:

This story just gets more and more tragic. Now Apollo has to watch helpless as Jupiter kills his son with a lightning bolt. I didn't really understand the importance of Phaethon's sisters transformation into poplar trees or Cycnus' transformation into a swan, but I do understand Apollo's guilt and shame for what he let his son do and the consequences of  granting his son's absurd request. It still seems like all of these problems could have been so easily avoided.

(Painting by Gustave Moreau)

Callisto:

Once again Zeus' lust causes major problems for other people. Rape seems to be  a pretty common theme in Greek mythology I suppose. Callisto did nothing wrong and she gets kicked out of Diana's hunting club and Juno turns her into a bear! Later her son, Arcas, is turned into a bear by Jupiter, and they both are placed in the sky as the constellations Uras Major and Ursa Minor: The Great Bear and the Little Bear. 

Semele:

Jupiter really needs to learn to control himself! Honestly, if I was was Juno, I would have given up on him by now, but I guess he is the most powerful of all the gods. The only good news in this story is that only one innocent person died: Semele, destroyed by the god she loved. Also, the god Bacchus was born, which isn't all bad.

Echo:

The character of Jupiter is really intriguing to me, this story especially. In past stories, he has always gotten innocent people in trouble through his infidelity, but this time it seems that he takes pity on Tiresias, after Juno took his sight. Also, it would have been miserable to be Echo. Never being able to initiate would be awful!

Narcissus:

It is kind of hard for me to feel bad for Narcissus. How you could you pity someone so arrogant and full of themselves? One interesting thing I noticed is that, since Narcissus dies in his youth, he does not live long enough to see time tarnish his beauty... a blessing and a curse.

(Echo and Narcissus, Painting by John William Waterhouse)

Pyramus and Thisbe:

It is almost identical to Romeo and Juliet. The tragedy of the star-crossed lovers is obviously a common theme of ancient times. It seems to me that these types of tragedies are so easlly prevented, and therefore all the more tragic.

Mars and Venus:

Wow that really sucks for Vulcan! He catches his wife, Venus, cheating on him with Mars, and on of the other god dares to say that he would like to be caught in the same situation. I would be beyond pissed off!

Perseus and Andromeda:

Perseus has got to be one of the more well known Greek heroes, because his story was made into a movie, even if it was a little campy. He was a great hero, slaying Medusa and turning Atlas into a mountain is awesome, but to saving his future wife, Andromeda, from a sea monster is a pretty good story to be told at a wedding!

(Painting by Piero di Cosimo)

Perseus and Medusa:

I guess telling the story of how Perseus slayed Medusa was the best one for the wedding! Using his shield as a mirror was a brilliant move, and it is why Perseus is remembered as such a great hero. Also, it seems like the worst thing that could happen to a woman of that age was to be born beautiful. Then a god would violate you and you would suffer much harm from it.

Week 1: Famous Last Words

Well... it's been a pretty busy first week. I've never really blogged before, but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it, even if I haven't done any spectacular work. My class mates, on the other hand, are all crazy talented. All of there work is pretty incredible. I could probably  brag about their work for this entire post, but there will be plenty of time for that. So instead, I'm going to tell you all about another class I'm taking: Intro to Guitar.

This is actually my second go round through guitar. No I didn't fail, but you can take it up to four times and get credit for it. Everybody needs a GPA boost right? Let me get this out there from the get go. I am in no way a good guitar. In fact, if I am completely and totally honest, I would not call what I do "playing guitar." However, I love music and I've always wanted to be able to play an instrument, so I decided guitar was my best option. I mean... who wouldn't want to be able to sit by a campfire and belt out some classic sing-a-long songs? I know I do. I've got a long way to go before I get to that point though. Having some friends in the class, who are just as bad as I am, helps me feel a little better. It is definitely easier to suck as a group than it is to suck individually. On another note, I don't people appreciate how painful it can be to play to guitar. Until you build up some monster callouses on your fingertips, those steel strings will cut you up.

I'll try to keep you all updated on my attempts to play a little guitar! Talk to you all soon!

(Electric Guitar Player, Source: Wikipedia Commons)

Week 1: Introduction

How's it going everybody? My name is Greg Heigle and I'm a senior Pre-Med student, who happens to be a Letters major. I know this is kind of a weird combination, but I wanted to study more than just biology and chemistry in college, so I decided Letters was the way to go!

I was born and raised in Oklahoma City. Both of my parents graduated from OU, so naturally I'm a huge OU fan. I've gone to games ever since I was little, and I will always bleed crimson and cream. Growing up though, I never really played football, because I was tall and skinny... so I played basketball instead. My greatest accomplishment to date is probably when I dunked for the first time. So when the Thunder showed up in OKC, it was a dream come true. I've loved every minute of going to games and getting to watch my hometown team develop into a perennial championship contender. Sports, without a doubt, were my main focus as a kid, but that's not all I did. I'm also a pretty big nerd! I love reading books like Lord of the Rings or pretty much anything. I also love camping and hiking and rock climbing. However, my favorite thing to do in the world is hang out with my family, especially my younger brother.

I feel like you probably have a pretty good picture of me at this point, but I would be leaving out a major chunk of who I am if I neglected to tell you about my faith. More than anything else I've talked about so far, my faith is what defines me. I grew up going to church, and I would've told you that I had a pretty strong faith. However, I didn't really begin to take my relationship with God very seriously until I got to college. Now, I do my best to introduce my friends to the faith that is so important, and I try to help the guys who are interested develop their own relationship with God. It's the single most fulfilling that I do.

I hope this helped you all get to know me a little better!I I'm looking forward to the rest of the semester

(My dude, Kevin Durant the MVP, source: Superb Wallpapers)

Week 1: Storybook Favorites

The first storybook that caught my eye was Flipped Scripts: History, Written by the Vanquished. This immediately grabbed my attention because point of view in storytelling is so important. A simple change of perspective can flip a whole story upside down- the heroes become the villains and the villains become the heroes. I also really like the way the student introduced the topic, almost like an episode of Jerry Springer where the the supposed villain, in this case Medusa, Grendel and the Cyclops, goes on to share his or her side of the story. It is a really compelling idea!

The next storybook that jumped out at me was The Monsters of the Twelve Labors, because, first and foremost, the twelve labors of Hercules are some of my favorite mythological stories. Also, I like the idea of exploring a Hero's memories of the deeds for which he is famous. I feel like I can picture Hercules on a therapist's couch trying to work through the horrifying things he was forced to do to complete his tasks. Terrifying monsters like the Hydra, the Erymanthian Boar, the Stymphalian Birds and the Mares of Diomedes are certainly the kinds of creatures that one would't soon forget. I think this is an interesting take on the Twelve Labor's of Hercules.

Growing up, I was really interested in Greek Mythology, so I feel like I know a fair amount about the Greek gods and goddesses, but I never paid much attention to the titans. So Titan's Tales snagged my attention. I know a little bit about Atlas, the great titan holding up the heavens, and Prometheus, the titan who gave humanity fire, but I am unfamiliar with Epimetheus and Menoetius. Also having a little brother, the concept of these four brothers being in counseling is pretty amusing to me. My brother and I have never needed counseling, but we've definitely talked out arguments with my Mom. I can only imagine the types of arguments me and my brother would have if we were titans!

Week 1: My Take on the Un-Textbook

First of all, I am really excited about the possibility of choosing the material that interests me the most for this course. Mythology and Folklore is such a broad, sweeping topic that offers one of the best scenarios for the Un-Textbook to flourish. I'm really looking forward to picking and choosing the units that I want to study! This is something close to my plan...

Block 1 (Wks 2-3)

I've always, since I was a little kid, had a fascination with Classical lore. Movies like Troy sparked an interest in the the incredible epics of the Trojan War and Odysseus' long journey home. That is why for week 1 I would do Homer's Iliad, and for the second week I would do Homer's Odyssey. The ancient heroes of Achilles and Odysseus are fascinating.

Block 2 (Wks 4-5)

I know little to nothing of Middle Eastern or Indian mythology, but I do recognize the name Sinbad. So it would interesting to get a deeper understanding of The Voyages of Sinbad. On the Indian side, you've shown that the stories of Raja Rasalu go well with the tales of Sinbad. I have absolutely no preconceived notions of these stories so it will be interesting to see them with a fresh perspective.

Block 3 (Wks 6-7)

 The hero figures of every society reveal so much about its culture. Japanese society, with its renowned focus on honor, should have heroes that embody this quality. That is why Japanese Mythology and the tales of the Monkey King are so intriguing. I think the hero narrative is universal, and I want to gain a better understanding of Japan's take on it.

Block 4 (Wks 9-10)

Being from Oklahoma, Native American culture has been omnipresent. Maybe I'm just fascinated by the mythology of heroes, but I want to delve into what it means to be a hero in Native American Tradition. The Hero Tales and the tales of the Blackfoot Tribe look very compelling.

Block 5 (Wks 11-12)

Some of the British folk heroes are people I have heard of, or seen Disney movies about. However, I would like to explore the basis of some these modern interpretation of heroes like King Arthur and Robin Hood. These are classic examples of the hero archetype and I want to see where they came from, and how they compare to their modern counterparts.

Block 6 (Wks 13-14)

Dante's Inferno has to be a staple of any study of mythology and folklore. Its topic is too spectacular to overlook. Then I feel like I have to include the iconic stories of Cinderella and Snow White of the Grimm stories, because they have shaped so much of what modern fantasy looks like, thanks to Disney.

After this preview, I'm really excited to start using the Un-Textbook!

Week 1 Storytelling: The Hare and the Tortoise - College Version

While enrolling for classes, Harry met Todd.

 "I'm taking 30 hours every semester until I graduate. Which should be in less than two years," he said proudly.

"Oh my," said Todd, clearly embarrassed. "I'm only taking 15, but I should graduate on time."

Harry laughed loudly, rolling his eyes. "15 hours?! I'll graduate twice as fast as you! I can't believe you would be so slow!" He called his friends over, who were just as pompous as he was. He got the laughs he was hoping for as he exclaimed Todd's schedule. 

Todd was visibly upset. "I bet I graduate before you!" He blurted out without thinking. Harry walked off with his friends without responding, chuckling loud enough for Todd to here. Todd called after Harry, trying to sound confident.

"You laugh now, but you'll see!"

Some time later, Todd was shuffling through a long line at a local coffee shop. He was typing deliberately on his phone, answering emails. Before he knew it, he had come to the front of the line. Without looking up from his phone, he ordered his usual- coffee with two creams and no sugar. As he reached into his wallet for a few bucks, he saw a face he recognized. It was Harry! They had class with each other for the first two years of school, then Todd never saw him again, thinking he had graduated. All the while Harry had never let Todd forget their little bet.

"Harry, how have you been buddy?" Todd tried to sound excited, but he most definitely wasn't.

"Oh hey Todd," Harry said, looking down quickly.

"What are you doing working here?"

"Uh... well about that, I actually failed out of college. I was trying to do too much I guess.

"Really?!" Todd did a poor job of covering his laugh with a cough.

"So what do you do now?" Harry was not looking Todd in the eyes, who was now wearing a large smile

"I'm actually a senior executive at an accounting firm here in town."

After some more awkward conversation, Todd had his coffee and was on his way out. He paused. Thinking to himself. Then, as he was opening the door to leave, he called across the crowded shop to Harry.

"I guess I won our little bet didn't I?"

(Overload Semester, Source: Cardboard Magazine )

Author's Note-

This story is an adaptation of one of Aesop's Fables: The Hare and the Tortoise. You can find this story at Aesop For Children, illustrated by Milo Winter (2006). This is a classic tale of a swift hare and a slow tortoise, and as we all know the Tortoise wins after the Hare takes a nap midway through the race, being so confident in his victory. As with all of Aesop's Fables, we learn a simple life lesson. In this case: The race is now always to the swift. I chose to apply this fable to some student's idea that they need to race through school as swiftly as possible. Clearly, this is not always the quickest way.

(The Tortoise and the Hare, Source: Wikipedia Commons )

Bibliography-

Title: The Æsop for Children
       With pictures by Milo Winter

Author: Æsop

Illustrator: Milo Winter

Release Date: December 2, 2006 [EBook #19994]

Meme Generator Tech Tip

Week 1: Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium - My Favorite Place

Norman, OK- With the possible exception of my bed back home, the OU football stadium is my absolute favorite place in the world. I've spent almost every Saturday in the Fall in this mecca of college of football. The atmosphere is incredible, and the energy that surrounds the stadium before, during and after the game is palpable. For any OU student that loves football, this has to be one of their favorite places in the world!

Oklahoma Football Stadium - Elite Daily

Source: Elite Daily

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