November 2011 Archives

N.G. - Not Good

By Amy Abrigo on November 30, 2011 8:14 PM | 4 Comments
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     In her latest book, Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology, and Less from Each Other, Sherry Turkle, a licensed clinical psychologist and professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, argues that technology needs to be put in its place. In an interview with Stephen Colbert, Turkle explains that there are times and places where people deserve each other's full attention. She states that overall humans should "live for [their] communications with people, [not their] communications with technology" (Colbert Report). But is it really the technology that needs to be put in its place, or is it people? Turkle tells the reader that when humans think they are connected together multiple people through social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter, they are actually not together, but alone together. Profiles that are self-created, Turkle explains, end up evolving into the equivalent of a live performance being put on for others through the medium of the web. Instead of interacting with people in real-time and seeing "reality", Facebook allows the user to portray their self as they like. This can be an excellent form of expression, but it might not exactly be a form of truth. She claims that people expect more from technology and less from people because technology seems to be a form of perfection since it is programmed to do things the right way while humans can make mistakes unintentionally. Turkle observes that if people continue to describe humans in machine-like terms, refer to machines in more human-like terms, and fool their selves into not caring to see the difference, then the problem of 
finding disappointment in the comparison will only increase.  

     If one evaluates what it means to be human and Christian in an interconnected world, one must put things into context. When The Shallows, by Nicholas Carr, explain that brain plasticity has allowed for the internet to cripple the ability of the mind to sit and deeply read for a period of time, Educators need to take this into consideration. Christians should take this into consideration. When Alone Together bluntly points out that humanity needs to recognize its lack of drawing a distinction between un-living, cold, empty, unknowing machines from living, breathing, emotionally-filled people, someone needs to become fearful. It is not okay to accept a robot's programmed portrayal of love over the true passionate heart of a human being. Yes, humans can and will fail, but that is a part of being human! Humans must accept that they will fail at times as individuals and that other individuals will fail them because it is these failures which shape and determine the lives and characteristics of all individuals. 

     In the book of Genesis, located in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, it is written, 
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"The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him," (Genesis 1:18, New International Version). This is the first time God describes something as "not good". This verse may set loners like me on edge, but it does bring what Turkle is saying under a new shining light of perspective. If God said it is "not good" for man to be alone, and the assumption is made that God calls Christians to do what is "good", then would it not make logical sense for Christians to be called to fight against this gravitational force sucking humanity into seclusion? As mentioned previously, perhaps the church should first attempt to thoroughly understand the claims of Turkle, then draw conclusions and adapt their teachings accordingly. However, how can the church ever do that if they never take the time and effort to understand the claims? Who will bring such crazy ideas to their attention? 











Works Cited

"Sherry Turkle -  The Colbert Report - 2011-17-01 - Video Clip | Comedy Central." Colbert                  Nation | The Colbert Report | Comedy Central. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/371249/january-17-2011/sherry-turkle?redirect=true>.

Turkle, Sherry. Alone together: why we expect more from technology and less from each other. New York: Basic Books, 2011. Print.


The Creation Story -- Facebook Style

By Amy Abrigo on November 28, 2011 1:32 AM | 6 Comments
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Created in His Own Image

By Amy Abrigo on November 20, 2011 3:22 PM | 1 Comment
Created In His Own Image

Need A Moment?

By Amy Abrigo on November 18, 2011 9:31 PM | 5 Comments
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This past Thursday at approximately 5pm until 7pm, the Art Gallery at Concordia University St. Paul hosted the opening reception for Linda Deg Lee's Emerging Symmetry exhibit. Focused, as the name implies, on symmetry, each piece of artwork seemed abstract yet orderly; familiar yet different. It seemed as if one would see what one would want to see: a brain, an amoeba, a sea of cells, a flower, or something more.  However, it was not the ambiguity of the artwork that inspired my thoughts; it was one single painting with what appeared to be an angel playing a musical instrument with a dagger, staring forward almost inquisitively. Problem was: it looked like a stringed instrument. Now how silly is that, to play a stringed instrument with a dagger? One would imagine a horrid sound emitting--if one emitted at all--and soon enough all strings would be cut and gone. Useless. 

Sometimes art seems like it is not meant to make sense, but art does always seem to be able to connect any and all subjects one could think of. Observing art is quite similar to what Nicholas Carr, author of The Shallows, would call "deep reading," which allows the self the necessary seclusion to bring forth, reflect upon, and experience self-generated ideas. Without this time of observing art, reading a book, or even just sitting in a hallway staring out a window blankly, people can lose themselves. Not exactly their minds, but their ability to think and process information independently. This is essential, as Sherry Turkle mentions in her book Alone Together, for adolescents to mature, yet its availability is diminishing. How many college students, outside those required to, take the time to walk through the Art Gallery here at Concordia?  How many sit in their room and read something other than required text? How many actually read 'required' text? 

The effects of the loss of reflection time and the loss of self are beginning to sink into my daily life. I rush from task to task, checking notifications in between, taking no time to escape the realm of assignments, class, or work. Friends and family soon become another task to complete, another mission to accomplish, and another fall to face when failure occurs. This artwork did not make much sense to me, but it did put my life on pause--if only for a second--while my eyes got lost in the brush strokes. When will life slow down? How long will I wait before I am forced to pause? Reflection is critical to the self, and if one could find another way to take "a moment" other than by "chew[ing] it over with Twix," then perhaps one would find more self-assurance and less technology dependencies.  





Anyone interested in visiting the exhibit in question, it will continue to be up through December 15, 2011 at the Art Gallery of Concordia University, St. Paul.

Forever Alone

By Amy Abrigo on November 16, 2011 11:15 PM | 4 Comments

 At approximately 11:45am yesterday morning, Concordia University, St. Paul hosted Jason Deboer-Moran, in their Buenger Education Center for a convocation titled, "Social Media: The Rise of Strategic Authenticity and Transparency." Prof. Deboer-Moran was introduced as one of the Top 20 Social Media Innovators in the Twin Cities, and did not live down his title throughout the presentation. He encouraged the audience to "think beyond the tools" they use, and focused on three key points: (1) being strategic, (2) using authenticity, and (3) determining transparency. While he was also attempting to introduce the audience to a chapter from his soon-to-be-published book, "Manager's Pocket Guide to Social Media," Prof. Deboer-Moran seemed to be targeting business or marketing centered audience members. However, in the end each audience member was led on a social media journey that seemed to begin and end with their self.

In the light of reading "Alone Together" by Sherry Turkle, I was shocked at the language of Prof. Deboer-Moran, especially when referring to communication made through social media. "Conversations among human beings," he claimed, "sound human, [and] businesses want to sound human." At first, it made sense. It sounded alright. No big deal. But then something clicked, sound human? He talked about how businesses like Zappos form relationships with their customers by having all of their employees, including their CEO, have Twitter and Facebook accounts that customers can see and interact with. Similar to the way people form relationships with their robots in "Alone Together", people were attempting to connect with the business itself through its CEO and/or employees. Why? How? Is this truly a relationship? What constitutes a relationship? Turkle discusses this further in her book, but I won't give it all away. All I know is her argument is lacking one thing . . . Jesus. Okay, okay, okay so it doesn't have to be Christianity, but can I get some sort of theological perspective on this social media relationship between humans and businesses? How far is too far? Should one even attempt to set limits if one knows such limits will be pushed?

It drives me a little nuts when I think about relationships 'built' online. The need to connect to social media such as Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr in order to feel connected or even loved seems absurd, yet sometimes one can find it to be true. There are college students without a significant other, without close family, without someone to greet them as they enter their dorm room, and it's lonely! That doesn't necessarily mean that one needs to be on social media twenty-four hours a day or invest in a robot companion, but it does draw attention to the fact that we need each other as human beings, as Christians, as friends, and as family. Being alone is good sometimes, but I believe each individual on this earth needs a daily cup of social interaction so that they are not forced to turn to building a relationship with a CEO who might never care to learn about them or a robot who can never care. 

Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

By Amy Abrigo on November 15, 2011 4:21 PM | 4 Comments
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Click here to see what I want for Christmas. 

If the link above was utilized, then perhaps the reader should continue reading.  In his latest work, The Shallows, Nicholas Carr argues that "a medium's content matters less than the medium itself in influencing how we think and act," and "if we use it enough, it changes who we are as individuals and as a society," (3). Call him crazy, but he lays out quite the logical argument explaining how tools such as the map and mechanical clock have changed the human mind. The map affecting the spatial understanding of the mind, and the mechanical clock warping the mind into a time consumed subject. He explains Brain plasticity, the ability of the human brain to physically adapt or change based on habits, surroundings, or situations of the individual, and emphasizes that it is possible, powerful, and irreversible without great difficulty and careful training. He raises the awareness that the average individual today has lost the physical ability to complete what he calls deep reading, which he correlates with deep thinking. Carr explains how hypertext, hyperlinks, Google, and the internet in general have caused people to desire instant gratification, and not understand when it does not happen. Humans, he shows, have gone from being deep-thinking-deeply-analytical scuba divers to skim-over-the-surface-for-what-I-want-to-know jet skiers.
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The book makes it very obvious that, yes, this is happening and, yes, people need to be aware; however, it seems that people still refuse to be. While tools such as the computer, internet, and Google allow for quicker, easier, and cheaper methods of spreading the Christian Gospel, members of the faith must be aware that this medium is affecting their message. This does not necessarily mean Christians need to be anti-internet, anti-Google, or anti-computer, but they do need to realize: (1) how much more personal a missionary is compared to an e-mail, (2) the loss of the depth in the word of God when its message or verses are online. It is great for people to have them available and easier to search through; however, what kind of God do non-Christians understand when all they see are snippets of Bible verses or even a full verse taken completely out of context? One might claim a specific book of the Bible as favorite or most important, but in the end the entire Bible is the word of God and in order to understand it, one must take the time to go through it deeply, analytically, and actually think about how it affects one's life; how it can bring one hope, new meaning, and/or a passion for life. 
This past Saturday, while discussing The Shallows with a close friend of mine, I received a response that I was not sure how to deal with. I explained how things such as multi-tasking and hyperlinks cause us to be very attention-diminished people filled with constant anxiety, and my friend of nearly six years replied, "That explains you perfectly!" No, she was not joking, and she continued talking defending her argument that I did not have to refute. She was right, it did explain everything, and even if I knew that sub-consciously, it certainly did not hit me until then. I do not believe I have lost my ability to read deeply--I actually think I am just recently building that skill--however, I do know that I bounce around from task to task like a wild chinchilla. If I was ever placed in a room for an hour and not allowed to do anything productive, I think I would go insane. I am trying to be more aware of my constant need for urgency and rushed behavior, but it is, as Carr said it would be, difficult. Self-reminders are useful, but the business of college and the continuous use of the internet do not help. Sigh, at least I'm not in denial. 


ELIZA

By Amy Abrigo on November 14, 2011 9:37 AM | 10 Comments
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I was surprised by how quickly ELIZA responded, faster than an actual human response, but at the same time the quickness worried me. If there was no time for processing the information as a Human mind would process the information, then it only further emphasizes the lack of emotion, understanding, and/or sympathy that this machine could never have in comparison to a human being. It definitely didn't seem to actually understand what I am saying as it continually reassures that what I said is accurate. "Yes," I tell her, "You are sure," she responds confirming my response, "Yes," I say again, "I see," she finishes. I don't think she saw or fully comprehended anything that I nor she was communicating. As Sherry Turkle's book Alone Together explains, ELIZA was simply created to respond as a therapist would and did not actually understand what was being communicated, she was simply reorganizing the words given to her and forming them into a question or sentence of reassurance. It is interesting that ELIZA is able to deceive the responder so quickly. One just might spill out their deepest darkest secret believing that maybe this time someone would hear them, yet, all ELIZA says is "You are sure," and "I see," while our human selves desire so much more. A comforting hug, words of encouragement, or even just a smile would do, but ELIZA could not do that.

Concordia University, St. Paul's Final Promise

By Amy Abrigo on November 14, 2011 6:06 AM | 5 Comments

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"Concordia University St. Paul empowers you to discover and engage your purpose for life, career, and service in a dynamic, multicultural, urban community, where Christ is honored, all are welcome, and Lutheran convictions inform intellectual inquiry and academic pursuit."

Wednesday, November 9th, at approximately 12:00pm Rev. President Tom Reis began his second convocation of the year with a recap of what has already come to pass within the "Uncover the Promise" Process. He reminded the audience of the differences between a mission, vision, and promise statement, and clarified the makeup of a promise 

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statement as something that is: (1) compelling, (2) differentiating, and (3) true. This would be the promise the University makes to its students, and would provide a new lens through which all new strategic planning would be evaluated. Although this convocation may have been directed towards higher administration, staff, and faculty members, its good news will deeply affect the futures of many students.

Words such as empowers reminded audience members that the University is constantly attempting to work with students in order to assist their life long process of learning. When observed on a minor scale, Resident Assistants must do the same. What first comes to mind for myself are the various services related to tutoring, career, health, disability, and diversity which are available and free to all students. However, for other students this empowerment might not be as clear, and it is my responsibility as their Resident Assistant to ensure that it is. When witnessing a resident struggling over homework, worrying about filling out an application, or even coughing and sneezing severely, I must remember the word of empowerment and direct residents to the right services accordingly.

The word purpose was used within the Promise Statement because it embodies both the concept of vocation and the concept that God created each of us for a reason as explained in Psalm 139. Immediately, this reminds me of my duty as a Christian called to do the right thing and called to share the good news and how it correlates with my daily work as a Resident Assistant. Remember to serve others, embracing Concordia's dynamic, urban, and multicultural community, and sharing the Gospel whether that's through a communal floor event or simply by offering to help a resident carry in her groceries is important.

President Reis did not carefully lay out the details for how each staff, faculty, or student of Concordia should all live out the promise in what they do at Concordia; however, he did explain and demonstrate that all members of the Concordia community would begin to automatically do so as they get excited or constantly remind each other of the statement itself. It is a very inspirational promise; one which I am given as a student and one which I am obligated to as a Resident Assistant. I believe it is important for resident assistants to get excited about this statement, hold true to it, and live it out daily for all residents as a promise.

Self.

By Amy Abrigo on November 9, 2011 5:03 PM | 3 Comments
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          Wellness, illness, age, and death were the main four foci for the three hour session with Dr. Loren Leslie, Board of Regents member of Concordia University, St. Paul and retired physician, last Monday night for the CSP Honors students. Again and again Dr. Leslie explained how he approached his medical practice through three themes: (1) encouragement, (2) hope, and (3) respect. He fed the students his love story which just so happened to be the same story of his transition into the Lutheran faith. Few sighed with longing for eternal happiness while others filled their lungs with a breath of Lutheran pride. After connecting with the students in various get-to-know-you ways, Dr. Leslie attempted to challenge students to sympathize with the elder population, including their own parents and grandparents, and at the same time he did his best to sympathize with the students' youthful perspectives. He left us with many anatomical and physiological health-related tips or suggestions, but overall he reminded us to carefully evaluate our perspectives as individuals, to be aware of the lenses which others use to view the world, and to remember one of the most important pieces of being a Lutheran: realizing how to reflect one's faith based on Christ's love in one's daily life and workplace. 

          Despite all of his inspirational words of life and somewhat depressing words of death, what stuck out the most to me throughout the entire conversation was the fact that he admitted that he was "fortunate to have grown up in a good Christian home". Not many would admit that to themselves or others, or if they would, they might not have the same reasoning or meaning that I am seeing behind it. It is interesting that he brought this up because I have recently engaged in conversations with others discussing the diversity in our Honors Program on various levels of academics, cultural background, intercultural experience, and even theological understanding. Those who were "fortunate to have grown up in a good Christian home" may have been raised with universal Christian morals, a solid faith, 'unfailing love', and one-true God who is their Lord and Savior whom they know and love. That's great, really it is, and I mean no offense to others, but I feel the need to raise the awareness of those people who do not realize this advantage or perhaps disadvantage they have over their fellow classmates. I have discussed with others how some people do not seem to struggle with their faith, or seem to have never had to struggle with it. Perhaps no one is or was raised in a 'perfect' environment; however, there is definitely a difference in understanding and perspectives between those who were "fortunate" and those who were not. This may be obvious, but what is less obvious is the fact that those who are fortunate either do not realize the less fortunate exist in class, do not understand how they could exist, or refuse to be made aware of their existence. For clarification, by "less fortunate" I mean those who were not raised in a "Christian home", those not forced to go to church every Sunday, those who did not or still do not necessarily know who Abraham, Isaac, Noah, Moses, Sara, Rachel, Hagar, Martin Luther, or even St. Paul were. Hopefully, if one is "less fortunate", as I tend to find myself to be, and does not know or understand what is being discussed at present, then one would speak up and force for clarification to be made. However, there is a frustration and need for encouragement in being a part of the few 'unfortunates' who seem to be left in the dust of theological conversations.  

          What I think is most important is that awareness be raised, self-evaluation (which is not the same as self-judgment) be made, and re-evaluation of diction be considered as all discover who is 'fortunate' or 'less fortunate' and why one feels that they belong to either category or neither.



Soul = Body = Self = I = Me

By Amy Abrigo on November 8, 2011 11:23 AM | 1 Comment
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          Spotted: a group of CSP Honors students sits in on the Holmer lecture in the Cowles Auditorium at the U of MN on a Friday night. While other students attempt the stereotypical challenges of an average party-goer, Honors kids listen to C. Stephen Evans, a University Professor of Philosophy and Humanities of Baylor University, defend an argument under the lecture title, "Are You Your Brain?"  Evans claim from the beginning, which he later refutes, is that most Christians have a dualistic view of persons as composed of body and soul. Some say that the Bible teaches Dualism; however, he brings up the challenge of words in the Bible such as "soul" being used in different contexts throughout the Bible because they were written at different times throughout history, by different authors, all with different perspectives. C. Stephen Evans describes and defines several arguments or theories about what is believed of the "body and soul" and in the meantime brings up afterlife explaining theories that go along with that as well. He invites us to think of ourselves not as objects of the outside world as bodies or soulless corpses, but instead as agents in action completing tasks that only a soul enabled body could do. His claim is that we are souls in a bodily form. There is no separation between body and soul; they are one-in-the-same.

          If one accepts the Cartesian view that "I = Soul = Me", then perhaps one might begin to understand where Evans is coming from. The more difficult thing for one's molded-by-society mind is imagining the soul not as something that is sacred, holy, glowing, and within you, but instead it is you. You are your soul; your soul is you, in a bodily form. It is hard to think of yourself as purely external, because you know that you have characteristics that are also internal. Even at the end of the lecture, as in most Philosophical discussions, there seem to be no answers; only more questions. However, it seems that this is what Honors is all about - not answering all the questions or learning all there is to know, but instead raising questions, questions, and more questions. Where's the fun in simple truth? 

          All truths, theories, thoughts, ideas, etc. should, can, and will be questioned. What is simple must be made complex, what is easy must be made difficult, what is comfortable must be made awkward. I believe this is the heart of what higher education is all about: critical thinking. When approached cynically it seems that there are no answers and no hope for answers. Society says things such as the Law of Gravity must be agreed upon so that order may be established within the chaos, but in reality it always seems like there is always another way to sweep the carpet out from under the feet of everyone even within those 'absolute truths'. That is what good critical thinkers, historians, philosophers, etc. have to do. That's what we as a human race have to do. It's our responsibility, some say, to educate each other how to do so, yet people still fall through the cracks. Who takes responsibility for those people? Should they be taken care of? Questions, questions, questions. What else are we to do except create more questions and attempt further, deeper, careful understanding of the human experience? The higher we climb the closer yet further it is we seem to be in scientific knowledge and understanding. This is what a mathematician might call a limit. 

Separate But Equal

By Amy Abrigo on November 2, 2011 2:58 PM | 5 Comments
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          Just this morning, Honors students of Concordia University, Saint Paul discussed the beginning of Nicholas Carr's book, The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains, and how an individual's method of thinking can change--sometimes subconsciously--as technologies evolve around them. Carr brings in the example of maps and how, as a tool, they exerted influence over the change of spatial perspective for humans. He also discusses how the invention of the mechanical clock influenced the mind to think in tiny parts, specific minutes, hours, or seconds. In a similar way, today at the 'First Wednesday' convocation lecture series here at Concordia, American History Professor Emeriti Dr. Fred Bartling discussed how his life and way of thinking are continually shaped by historical events (not necessarily technological changes) that occur around him. As he told his story, he told America's story, almost like a scene of Forrest Gump. Although he focused on social injustice of times that all audience members were not necessarily familiar with or present for, he left listeners engaged and wanting to hear more. 

          Dr. Bartling did his best to emphasize the extent of just how much the life of one person can affect all of humanity using the example of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who had such a colossal effect on society as well as the individual Fred Bartling himself. He spoke of struggles he witnessed individuals have that seemed to demonstrate struggles which were occurring throughout the Nation at the time, and how these were influenced his daily life. After the lecture I felt as if it was my responsibility to take a moment out of my day to seriously reflect on which historical events and personal experiences may have shaped me into who I am today, and to reevaluate just how significant certain events or people were (or continue to be) to me. 

          He mentioned the theological initiative of integration as opposed to segregation of blacks and whites in the late 1950s within specific schools and churches, and the continual struggle Americans have throughout history--and even today--in gaining true justice, freedom, and equality for all individuals. This reminded me of Romans 8:39, "neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Nothing could separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Nothing. Not racial segregation, not gender prejudice, not a back seat or a front seat, not a white man or a black man, nothing could separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. My wonder is if all Christians knew that or believed it in a similar way which I have just expressed. 

          I have heard stories of Bible verses being used more as propaganda for racial segregation or gender prejudice, but I wonder what Christians truly believed in that time about themselves as Christians. I realized that Martin Luther King Jr. seems to expand, almost similar to Jesus in the Gospels, upon the laws of the prophets on how Christians and how the church should keep the law of God in the current daily life, and I am interested to know what specific kind of affects the Civil Rights movement had on religion and theology in general. What did it mean to be a Christian at the time? This question may lead to many days and nights of research, but for now I am left to reflect upon my own Christian beliefs and how they are influenced and manipulated by the struggles or events around and within my life. Has my way of thinking about myself and faith been subconsciously manipulated by historical events or personal experiences in the past? Probably, thus the need for self-reflection. Perhaps I'll take a lesson from Rene Descartes and do some meditations utilizing the Cartesian Method of Doubt. 

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