October 2011 Archives

This writer could doubtlessly spend days and hundreds more pages investigating the history of this spooky day. As a timelier alternative, I'll use no further space but in recalling some of the peculiar practices of Halloween that take root in the shadows of an ancient past.

What are we celebrating?

Rewind over 2,000 years to find yourself amongst a Pagan tribe in ancient Ireland. Today is October 31st: the last day of the Celtic calendar. More than that, today is the Day of the Dead. It is the day of the death of Somhain, Celtic God of the Dead. In translation, it is "summer's end," the day when all that is living, and growing, and shining is swallowed by the shadowy, indicative silence of winter.* Tomorrow, November 1st, marks the New Year, though not a particularly cheery one.

On this day, you and all of those around you carry a great and very real fear, for, at night, the spirits of the dead will walk amongst the living to reestablish their presence. You crowd around a huge bonfire until midnight marks the death of light, the death of a dying year. You arrive in disguise, so that you may blend in with the dead that roam restlessly about the countryside. Like all of your neighbors, you've already placed exquisite meals upon your windowsills, outside your doors, covering each opening to your home with a collage of your finest cuisine. For whom? None other than the dead themselves. To them, you offer treats as a gesture of peace to the lurking souls. This is a night of remembrance, though it is no less one of the utmost fear. You wait, trembling, hoping to live through the Festival of the Dead...**

What are we saying/seeing?

To override these Pagan practices across ancient Ireland, Pope Gregory III declared November 1st All Hallows' Day, a holiday in recognition of all saints past and present. Despite this celebration having picked up and spread throughout Europe, the Pagan observance of the Day of the Dead continued each preceding day, becoming known as All Hallows' Eve, and eventually, Hallowe'en.

How did it get here, you might ask. Most officially, Celtic traditions came to America with the mass immigration after the Irish potato blight in the mid-1800s. Around this time, the gigantic bonfires during All Hallows' Eve found themselves contained as embers within carved out gourds and pumpkins for use as lanterns--jack-o-lanterns, that is. Even the costumes used today are reminiscent of the disguises that the Celts once used to blend in with the dead on All Hallows' Eve.***

What are we doing?

The meals on sills from ancient times were the way of preventing the tricks, or the tampering of the dead with the affairs of the living. Today, the vagrant spirits in ravenous search of food are ecstatic children, dressed as something of the sort, seeking the sugary sweets of kind neighbors.

Same thing? Not quite, but for the most part the idea is there. Each knock on the door and ensuing exclamation of "Trick or Treat" from an eager child represents the act of begging by a restless ghost. And from the other end, each Snickers' bar, popcorn ball (my favorite), and random can of generic soda from Aunt Lucille is the offering made (the treat) to prevent the wrath and haunting of the dead left unfed. Celts were not alone in this annual ritual. No, it occurred all across Europe in the same age, with Mexico's Dia de los Muertos, even among the Egyptians with the death of Osiris 2,000 years before the Celts. And its message, consciously or not, lives on in the proceedings of our holiday today.

Halloween, though celebrated differently and under different names across the world, has but one deep-seated origin that ensures its existence today: fear. It's become one day to recognize fear of all darkness, fear of all death. What we know of now is a spooky commemoration and manifestation of that very same fear. Of the death of the sun. The death of growth. The death of the fear of Death. 'Tis truly the Day of the Dead...

Pretty ghoul, huh?

Happy Halloween!

References:
* Bradbury, Ray, and Joseph A. Mugnaini. The Halloween Tree. New York: Knopf; distributed by Random House, 1972. Print.
** "Halloween -- History.com Articles, Video, Pictures and Facts." History.com -- History Made Every Day -- American & World History. Web. 20 Oct. 2011 .
***Trevarthen, G. A. (2010). The celtic origins of halloween transcend fear. Phi Kappa Phi Forum, 90(3), 6-6-7.

So, we've reached the middle of the semester and, for the most part, you probably have settled in to your weekly routine with classes. This can be a good time to take a deep breath and assess your progress as well as think about your future plans. Below are some things to expect and some suggestions for this midway point in the semester:

• Mid-Semester Reports: If you receive a mid-semester report, please don't be alarmed. These reports were designed as a communication tool for you and your professors about your progress in your courses. These reports also serve as a "prompt" to encourage you to seek assistance. Follow the instructions the instructor sent to you and meet with the faculty member to assess what you need to do to succeed in the course. Try not to view Mid-Semester Reports negatively; they can provide significant insight at a critical point in the semester.

• Study Skills and Self-Reflection:  The first rounds of exams, papers, and quizzes in any course are often like experiments:  you're still learning about the instructor's expectations and standards. If you want to improve your performance on the 2nd and 3rd tests and assignments, it's important to examine how you prepared for the 1st round. Some students simply say, "I'll study more" when asked what they will do differently the next time. And "studying more" might seem very clear, but you'll do yourself a favor if you spend some time analyzing how, where, when and how far in advance you studied the first time. And then think about what kinds of adjustments you can make now.  Penn State Learning offers some valuable information about study tips. 
  

• Office Hours: All instructors must hold office hours--and many would tell you that students under-utilize them. Plan to visit one of your professors, even if you are not having any particular trouble in the class. You can talk about something that was discussed in class or about a question you might have from the course readings. Remember that it's important to become known in your classes whenever you can. Students who feel connected in their classes tend to perform better and they develop a stronger sense of community at the University. Challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone and make a connection with your instructors.

• Career Services and the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network: Career Development is a process--it's not something to suddenly attend to when you're approaching graduation.  The more you explore the resources provided by Career Services and the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network, the better!  Mid-semester is a good time to make a visit to both offices. Career Services is located behind Eisenhower Auditorium and the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network Office is located in 5 Sparks. 

• Education Abroad Office: Thinking about studying abroad? You can start investigating your options online. The general application deadlines are: Fall programs:  January 20, Spring programs: April 1, Summer programs: beginning February 1.  But pay attention to the deadlines listed for each program you research.

• Your Academic Adviser: Most students meet with their adviser at least once or twice a semester to discuss course selection for the upcoming semester and to discuss long-term goals. Don't wait until it's time for you to register for courses! Please keep in mind that your adviser's calendar may fill quickly, so schedule an appointment well in advance of your scheduling date. You can use this website to do so: http://www.la.psu.edu/advising-appt/.  If you've received a Mid-Semester Report, your adviser can talk to you about utilizing additional PSU resources.

• Campus Happenings: Take advantage of the opportunities that Penn State has to offer outside of the classroom. Listen to a guest speaker, attend a performing arts show, participate in a political event, see a free movie on campus or support student athletes by going to a fall sporting event--volleyball, soccer, or field hockey. The possibilities are endless.

• Local Community: State College and the surrounding areas are home to you while you are a Penn State student, and there are plenty of ways for you to become part of the community.  Pay attention to what's happening downtown from the weekly Farmer's Market to Pumpkin Carving at Shaver's Creek to Dark in the Park Stories Around the Campfire at Sunset Park to the Ski Swap Sale at Tussey Mountain, there are so many ways to take part in the local community.  Check www.statecollege.com to find out what's happening throughout the semester.

Paul Taylor had Graham Spanier talking about his moves. Before Taylor came out to greet the audience, Spanier said, "For a dancer like me," pause for laughter, "whose right hip doesn't know what his left is doing, I consider [Taylor] a marvel!"

That, if nothing else, makes Taylor worthy in my book of being the 2011 recipient of the Penn State Institute for the Arts and Humanities (IAH) Medal for Distinguished Achievement. Incidentally, Taylor is also special for being the only medal recipient to be born in Pennsylvania, giving the crowd attending Taylor's performance last Thursday at Eisenhower Auditorium a rush of home state pride. Taylor's performance was one of the first few performances thus far in the 2011 - 2012 Center for the Performing Arts season, which is shaping up to be a good one! 

At the top of the evening, Michael Bérubé, the IAH director, introduced the video that would detail Taylor's trajectory from professional dancer to choreographer. The video, produced with the help of WPSU, featured an exposition of Taylor's work written by Bérubé and Amy Vashaw. To hear Bérubé talk is to listen to an engaging essay, but even hearing his writing contribution narrated by Patty Satalia, it was clear he could articulate a thesis like nobody's business. The video got me jazzed to see Taylor's work live, especially his finale, choreographed to Piazzolla Caldera. I knew from the moment I caught a glimpse of this dance in the introduction that it was going to be my favorite performance.

But just like anything that's good, it was saved till the very end. I flicked through my program one last time to get a feel for the evening ahead before the house lights dimmed and the show was about to begin. Once the curtain rose, I was glad I did take that extra second to scan my program. I happened to catch the name Jennifer Tipton as the "Lighting by" credit, and I was glad, as the show began, that I had a name in mind to be thanking. The opening dance was lit in such a crisp white light that the entire stage looked fresh, including the dancers in their deer and moss colored costumes. Tipton was just as much a contributing artist to the scene as was Taylor in his crafting of the leaps and twirls that seemed to tell an early forest awakening through the movements of Bach's Brandenburgs. Every time one of the women spun across the stage, her skirt bellowed out in a velvet lily. 

More female dancers came out for the second sequence in the ensemble of dances. The ratio was almost even as the men and women entered the stage in torn, gauzy red-blue or green-brown leotards. The dance Taylor choreographed to The Uncommitted was much more active and much less fragile than the first sequence. Taylor created such a sad illustration of being alone in the world. All eleven dancers on stage lined up in a circle, first walking around it then gradually running around it, until two circles broke off from the original one as if in mitosis. One girl was left out in the middle. She looked to the right and made as if to join that circle, but didn't quite fit, so then she looked to the left and tried to jump in, but that was hard, too. Finally, she fell in behind the left circle, but I was left with such sadness for the lonely dancer that still didn't quite fit.

But finally, finally, my anticipation was satisfied with the dance to the Piazzolla Caldera. Taylor was quoted in the introductory video as describing this dance as the physical narrative of the sex act. There was great movement in this tango-tap hybrid dance that Taylor crafted, which was perfectly complemented by the tattered dresses that registered every movement, and the moving metal light fixtures that mirrored the fanned out shape of the dresses worn in Brandenburgs. The intensity of the dance was on edge the whole time. Each movement hit with the tight perfection of passion. The dance was the perfect combination of all the previous elements Taylor had exhibited in his choreography.

I didn't want it to end. But when it inevitably did, I walked out of the auditorium feeling incredibly grateful to the Center for the Performing Arts for giving me the opportunity to attend the Paul Taylor Dance Company performance. I encourage everyone to check out the rest of the performances that the CPA has to offer!

Being an underrepresented student in the College of the Liberal Arts at The Pennsylvania State University helped shape my experiences. I met people from different ethnic groups who I was able to connect with on a personal level, developing friendships that would last a lifetime.

My experience at Penn State was a little challenging at first because I am from an urban area. However, I was able to join different organizations that helped make my overall experience better at the University. I was a part of the NAACP serving as the Corresponding Secretary for a year. In addition, I was a part of the Fast Start Advisory Council which helped First Year students get adjusted to campus. This organization really helped me because I was able to get a mentor in my hometown, with whom I am still in contact with to this day. She has helped me throughout my Penn State career and is still helping me in graduate school. I was also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. which put on programs for the Penn State community on issues that affect students, like how to avoid debt and how to maintain healthy exercising practices.

Attending The Pennsylvania State University is one of the best things I did for myself. It has helped prepare me for a graduate experience I could not imagine. During my undergraduate study, I was in the College of the Liberal Arts majoring in English. When I became a junior, I decided to double major in African American Studies. I learned to navigate through Penn State very well. I also had people who helped me along the way. One person who helped me was Mr. Merritt, the Director of Multicultural Equity Programs in the College of the Liberal Arts. Mr. Merritt assisted with my books, helped me to find scholarships that I was eligible to apply for, and provided caring advice when I needed it. Having someone that is able to help the needs of underrepresented students is very important to the Penn State community and can be a deciding factor of whether or not underrepresented students stay enrolled at the University.

Faculty were very supportive of my decision to attend graduate school. Three professors, Dr. Mhando, Dr. Thomas, and Dr. Gilyard helped me with my journey to graduate school. From being a part of the Ronald E. McNair Program, I was able to learn what research was by attending workshops and getting experience doing research with Dr. Thomas. I was able to learn Stata, a statistical software, and was able to learn about high school dropouts. This experience helped me to do research during the Summer of 2009 at the University of Michigan where I was able to study how achievement motivation affected African American adolescents. After these opportunities, my experience and motivation led me to pursue a doctoral degree in Education Policy Studies. Currently, I attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where I am on fellowship. This past May I received my Masters Degree in Education Policy. I believe the experiences at Penn State helped me to be adequately prepared for this program. I have no doubt that I chose the right school for my undergraduate experience.

Economics major Anthony Antonik and Engineering Science major Daniel Slotcavage join Episode 31 of Liberal Arts Voices to discuss the Penn State Bike Share program.

Anthony and Daniel, president and vice-president of PSU Bike Share, talk about how they founded this not-for-profit student run organization during an honors leadership jumpstart program through Schreyer Honors College in which students were responsible for creating a service leadership project.

The students discuss their goal for PSU Bike Share: to bring a public bike sharing program to Penn State that will offer an efficient, environmentally-friendly, and health-promoting form of transportation to the students, faculty, and staff at University Park.

PSU Bike Share was initially developed as a pilot program to gauge the interest level on campus.  Anthony and Daniel describe how the program is currently functioning and how they would like to see the program develop and expand on campus.  Listen to Episode 31 of Liberal Arts Voices to find out how to sign up for the program, make donations (monetary or bicycles), and get involved in leadership opportunities within the organization. You can also visit the PSU Bike Share website for more information.

Liberal Arts Voices: Episode 31 "PSU Bike Share"

To subscribe to Liberal Arts Voices through iTunes, click here.

We encourage all of our listeners to write to us with comments, questions, or suggestions at laus@la.psu.edu. We may even respond to these comments on the next episode of Liberal Arts Voices.

Whenever I tell people I am learning about chickens this semester, they stare at me with disbelieving eyes, then laugh hysterically. It is true that a First Year English Seminar about "Chicken Culture" is not necessarily common . However, the class is more than just about chickens. The course reaches far beyond this little avian creature, to broader social, biological, and even cultural issues.   

During the fall semester, our class had a chance to attend a screening of "Forks over Knives," a documentary that demonstrates the shocking truth behind the American diet and suggests an alternative. One might ask what our Chicken Culture class has to do with a movie like "Forks over Knives." After the screening, it became obvious that the two are related in their focus on contemporary 'dietary issues.' They both concentrate on what we eat and the facts about food which we rarely seem to care about. This food documentary shed light on a variety of themes related to the consumption of animal products in the United States (and yes, that includes chickens). After the screening I had mixed feelings. I understood the great benefits of plant based diets, but on the other hand, it seemed like some other important factors were ignored.  

The obesity problem in the United States is becoming a big social issue. Adults and children are becoming more obese. This has resulted in a significant increase in illnesses and health problems, such as diabetes. The number of prescriptions that people rely on has skyrocketed as well. "Forks over Knives" says that this humungous health problem is directly related to both the food we eat and our misconstrued preconceptions about food. For instance, many people are losing the balance between meat and vegetables in their diets. We are consuming too much meat, which we all know is not a good thing. Perhaps most astonishing, however, are our misconceptions about food. Back in the day, we were all introduced to the 'food pyramid,' which told us that our meals need to be full of every food group. Many of us still believe this and tend to follow its advice. The film, however, indicates that the food pyramid is wrong. 'We need to eat meat for protein' and 'Milk is good because of calcium' are just a few misconceptions we have about food. In other words, many of us have been eating the wrong way for years.

Probably the biggest evidence that the documentary gives is the "China Study." An enormous undertaking, both in scale and time, the China Study was performed over a period of 20 years and covered the entire population of China. The study showed that animal-based diets caused more health problems than plant-based diets. This is due to the fact that animal-based food was high in casein, a type of protein that is mostly found in mammalian milk. Our solution is this: a plant-based diet. By eating this way, people can lose weight and live much healthier lives without having to worry about getting ill. The film indicates that by maintaining a vegan lifestyle, some people are able to avoid severe illnesses, such as cancer and diabetes.  

'Forks over Knives' is very convincing in many ways. It provides a variety of analyses and research that suggests a plant-based diet is the best solution to these health problems. However, after leaving the theatre, some questions started to pop in to my mind. First of all, the film relied on a simple, yet controversial proposition: meat is bad for you. However, considering what I have learned in our 'Chicken Culture' class, there is more to the production of meat than we think. Many farms are more like factories now. Cows and chickens live in barred areas, are fed the best feed to get fat and ready to be eaten in the shortest amount of time and at the lowest possible cost. It makes me wonder if this mass production of meat might be the real problem here. Secondly, in my opinion, the film does not adequately consider reducing meat consumption as another possible solution. Too much meat consumption is not good, and that we all know, but I am not sure if the complete removal of meat from our diet is realistic. The film's proposed solution is perhaps too ideal. I doubt many people will be able or willing to so drastically change their eating habits.  

Need for a health solution is evident. But before we consider how to solve this problem, it might be best to first acknowledge the importance of and issues surrounding the food we currently eat. This documentary attempts to do both and ultimately suggests that the answer lies in a healthier, plant-based diet. As for me, I have started to consider what I have on my plate and reduced the amount of meat I eat every day, filling the empty spot with more greens. Maybe removing meat completely from my diet is impossible, but trying to eat better, nutritious meals is what I will strive for now. Probably in the future, my plate will be full of greens.  

While in Mexico I worked on my first professional lab analysis project. I worked with two professors, both respected archaeologists with decades of experience and volumes of published research. Working with both professors was a great experience. Dr. Anne Cyphers is a faculty member at the Mexican National University and the other professor, Dr. Ken Hirth is a Penn State faculty member. I would like to thank both of them for the opportunity to work with them. The experience was very rewarding.

When I left for Mexico I knew exactly what I would be doing in the lab. I knew what the research entailed and what the objectives were. What surprised me was how much I enjoyed living in Mexico. While in Mexico I lived in a dorm at the lab I worked in. Despite the language and cultural barriers I made fast friends with the other analysts who were part of the project. Valentina, Juan, and Estaban became not only great friends, but they also humbled me with their hospitality. Becoming accustomed to the culture was a challenge but I had a great time during the process and was lucky to have such patient teachers.

As any traveler can tell you, or an anthropologist for that matter, stepping into an unfamiliar culture is both exciting and frustrating. While I was in Mexico I would frequently tell my hosts "todos es nuevo". Everything is new. The customs, lifestyle, language all of it was a brand new experience. Living in a different country really shows the truth in the cliché saying: "there is a new life down every road." I would recommend all liberal arts majors to think about studying abroad if they have the chance, not only for the new experience, but also to gain a different perspective on their life and culture.

Beyond being in a completely different culture I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time with a Mexican family. Working and living with other analysts provided an experience that cannot easily be duplicated. As an anthropology student, this living arrangement was perfect. I was totally immersed in a different culture, living the life of a local. In general, I was lucky as a traveler to find such wonderful people to help me.

Several Liberal Arts Undergraduate Council (LAUC) members join us for a special Google + edition of our Liberal Arts Voices podcast.

For the first time, dedicated Liberal Arts Voices listeners can actually see what it is like behind the scenes of a recording session. Below, you can find the video footage recorded via a Google + "hang out" session. The Google + video hang out feature allows multiple users from different locations to talk online simultaneously.

In this episode, LAUC President Lauren Perrotti, LAUC Vice President Rob Turchick, and LAUC Secretary Matt Jewitt discuss LAUC's plans and schedule of events for this academic year. Labor Studies and Employment Relations lecturer Amy Dietz, ANTH and WMNST major Helen Geleskie, CLA Adviser Katelyn Perry, CLA Instructional Designer Cathy Holsing, ITS staff member Dan Getz, and CLA alumni and former LAUC President Sam Loewner also join the podcast via Google +. The group discusses a variety of topics including online education, technology in the classroom, and potential educational and professional uses for Google + video hang outs.

We would like to thank Media Commons staff members Ryan Wetzel and Dan Getz for making our Google + video hang out possible!

You can view the Google + video hangout below (as well as on our You Tube page).


You can also download the file here: Liberal Arts Voices: Episode 30 "The Google + Special"

To subscribe to Liberal Arts Voices through iTunes, click here.

More photos from our Google + special podcast episode can be found on our Flickr site.

We encourage all of our listeners to write to us with comments, questions, or suggestions at laus@la.psu.edu. We may even respond to these comments on the next episode of Liberal Arts Voices.

My name is Sam Shortle. As a senior this past year I opted for a full course load and lots of research projects. One of these research projects turned into a travel research grant from the University President's Office. As an archaeology and anthropology student specializing in Mesoamerica, the travel grant allowed me to go to Mexico to perform research. My research objectives were to use computer imaging methodologies to generate three dimensional models of artifacts and to use the models to analyze artifact dimensions. The resulting data can be used to answer questions about craft production and trade in central Mexico around 2,000 years ago.

Aside from the research objectives, I also went to Mexico with the goals of improving my Spanish, meeting Mexican archaeologist, and doing some informal ethnography. Learning Spanish and meeting Mexican archaeologists are crucial steps in my academic career as I plan on working in Mexico in the future. It is also important to find interesting projects to work on. Making contacts with established investigators is the best way to find projects and people to work with. Thus this trip was far more than a research travel grant but also a chance to build professional skills and relationships.

I am primarily interested in studying trade and the economy in Mesoamerica. Looking at the production, distribution, and use of different artifacts provides data that can be used to study what sorts of economic systems and relationships existed in the past. This type of research is very exciting and can provide great insight about the human experience. Working on projects that develop my skills as an analyst is a great experience and an essential step toward a professional career.

I would like to thank the President's Office and the College of the Liberal Arts for this opportunity. I would also encourage all liberal arts students to get into the field and get experience before graduation. All it takes is a little extra effort.