Jade Ptacek

Festival of Beginnings

2012-09-02T19:48:53Z

On Thursday, the Festival of Beginnings was held in the Beutow Auditorium. This ceremony welcomed the new students along with student leaders and new staff. The ceremony began with a song as the professors paraded in. Dr. Carter led the prayer while Liz Bartels and Jordan Voges had the privilege of reading a short passage. This passage led into the meaning behind this year's ceremony: "Our Refuge and Strength." As President Ries stood behind the podium, he discussed the deeper meaning of our refuge and strength. He utilized different translations of the Bible to illustrate how other cultures view these words. Every culture views refuge and strength to be dissimilar but they all still have a certain likeness. The homily delve deeper into the meanings of these words and also exemplified the different ethnicities and beliefs we have on campus. Concordia is very diverse and President Ries takes pride in this diversity. After the President was finished with his brief speech, Jason Rahn, Mary Arnold, and Lonn Maly introduced the new students, leaders, and staff. The ceremony then ended with a recessional hymn as the professors processed out of the auditorium.

The ceremony brought up a simple axiom from the Bible: "Our Strength and Refuge." This could be simply taken as God is everyone's refuge and strength or one could dive deeper into the meanings of these two words. In the dictionary, refuge is a place of shelter from danger. While strength has many more definitions including the quality and state of being strong, mental force, vigor, moral power, courage, and authority. All of these definitions comply with the power of God and his love. The homily was translatable to all audience members for this reason. Not only is God every person's strength and refuge, he is also the authority, courage, and moral power for every person. Overall, the ceremony and the meaning behind it brought everyone together to begin the year by expressing faithfulness and love towards God.

I did not know what to expect coming into this ceremony. Actually, I wasn't planning on going because I thought I had to work but a few of the people I work with decided to attend and so I tagged along. I don't remember there being a Festival of Beginnings last year, but maybe I just didn't attend. It's hard enough to keep track of everything now, let alone when I was a freshman. I appreciate how President Ries utilized many translations to exemplify the various views of refuge and strength in different cultures. It reminds us all that our English translation is not always perfect. Also other cultures have words, phrases, and ideas that prove to be very diverse from the interpretation of the English language Bibles. The Bible is a constant reminder that we're not alone in this world. God is always with us being our refuge and strength. I really valued the use of those two words. Finally, the ceremony was also a very ritualistic way to introduce and welcome all of the new people and ideas at Concordia this school season.

Finally Finished

2012-08-25T03:49:18Z

Finally finished with my summer, with working at StarMark, with Accounting class, with helping a 12u softball team. Not to say that all these things are bad but I am ecstatic to go back to school. Lastly, I'm finally finished with this book. I thought that the book would be a pretty simple read but I was wrong. It took me longer than I thought it would. It was rather repetitive although I understand it needed sufficient evidence to back up the many points throughout the book. It just wasn't a great read for me, maybe because I was still trying finish all of those projects that I wanted/needed to finish and reading a book was the last thing on my list. Not to mention I was pretty busy. Anyway the book provided good insights and I made many connections I just wish this book could have not been a summer reading. I think it would have been more interesting to discuss each chapter or couple of chapters because now I feel like I can't remember what the early chapters were about except I remember the overall idea and theme of the book. Sorry to be such a complainer. There will be a more thorough blog soon where I will stop complaining so much and get down to more of the meaning of the book but for now I thought I would write a quick blog with my initial thoughts before I went back to school.

Horses on the knoll?!

2012-05-03T02:36:12Z

One could smell the odor wafting from the knoll in the luminous morning on Wednesday, May 2^nd. On this day, the convocation was held outside and the odor drifted from the horses. Yes, there were two horses on the knoll. One was named Bailey and the other's name was Ben. They were Professor Pickel's horses. She brought them in order to teach students how horses can be utilized in learning. For this convocation, there were six student volunteers and six professor volunteers. The students were a team and the professors were a team. Both team's task was to gather designated objects. These objects included cones, toy shovels, hula hoops, and buckets and they represented various ideas. Some of the words were social life, study, sleep, and homework. The object of the activity was for the teams to decide which items were most necessary and how much they wanted to carry. Each team member had to carry all the items along with an egg on a spoon and they had to take a horse with them. There were six cones set around the knoll where another teammate would be waiting to carry the items. At the end, the winner did not matter. It was the idea that mattered.

The idea of carrying all of these items was to represent the burdens that everyone carries and the choices they have to make especially at this time of the year. The students carried more stuff. They chose items that represented priorities, homework, study, social life, sleep, meals, and spiritual life. While the professors chose words such as spouse, work, spiritual life, and exercise. The whole activity was an immense metaphor for the choices everyone faces during this time of year. At the end, people talked about what they viewed the egg and the horse to be and they explained why they chose the words they did. Some believed the horse represented the unexpected things in life because no one knew what the horse was going to do. Everyone viewed the egg differently. Some viewed it as their faith. Others viewed it as their life and health. It all came down to people's opinions and personal experiences.

This was by far my favorite convocation... except for the horses. I feel heartless saying this but I don't like horses. I find them to be really odorous. Anyway I loved the idea of the giant metaphor. These burdens and choices are something that everyone can relate to. At the end of the year, life becomes slightly more stressful and one has to decide what is most important. These choices have been especially difficult for me because I always to hang out with the people on my floor but sometimes, I have to do homework. The convocation also brought up great points like the use of teamwork and communication. These things become very important in life. Also, I loved to hear everyone's thoughts on how they viewed the metaphor and how they related it to their own life experience. There were simply too many views to put down in writing. Overall, I enjoyed this convocation in the lovely sunshine and I hope to see more like it.

Dorothy Sayers

2012-05-01T02:49:46Z

Dorothy Sayers lived from 1893 to 1957. While at Oxford, she studied medieval literature and she was one of the first women to receive a degree from Oxford. In this piece of writing called Vocation in Work, Sayers describes how a person's calling or vocation relates to ones work. She goes on to compare the life of an artist and his work to the life of a union worker. She acknowledged artists as people who enjoy their work. Additionally, she related artists to God in the first chapter of Genesis; God created man which is similar to an artist creating works of art. She stated, "Man is a maker, who makes things because he wants to, because he cannot fulfill his true nature if he is prevented from making things for the love of his job." Dorothy Sayers was against communism. She viewed communism as a concept that defines humans as economic beings. Sayers viewed work or a vocation as a way to make money in order to live to work. There should be no separation between work and life. One's work should be one's passion.

Sayers had a different view of what work should be than other readings from Callings. Her views emphasize the value of having passion for one's work and not viewing it as work. Also with this idea, one can relate their views and beliefs with their calling. The title of the reading is Vocation in Work elaborating on the fact that one can have passion for one's work or vocation and one can incorporate his or her faith within this vocation.

I enjoyed the reading because it talked about having passion for one's work. That has always been my goal. I do not care what type of job I have some day or where college will lead me because I just want to be happy. I want to have a passion for something whether it is business, sports, art, music or whatever else and I want to grow with that passion. I want to find something someday that I enjoy doing; hopefully a job that challenges me to work hard but leaves enough time to have a happy and healthy family life. I want to be able to do so much with my life. I just hope I find that passion. Now, I'm reminded of Pippen who was searching for his purpose and passion. Anyway, I hope to find my own happiness and that through the good and the bad times, I can always come back to contentment. I think that is why I liked the reading so much is because it reminded me of what I want out of life and how hard I'm working to achieve that.

Head to Head! Heart to Heart!

2012-04-26T04:13:58Z

On Tuesday, April 24^th, the 11^th annual Poehler lecture was held in the Buetow Auditorium. This year, the keynote speakers were brothers Drs. Dale and Thomas Trapp. The presentation began with Lonn Maly who said a prayer and then introduced Dale and Thomas Trapp to the stage. Dr. Dale was the first to speak, and he showed various pictures of their life while Thomas interjected with funny and lighthearted comments. This progressed into short lectures by both the professors. Dr. Dale is the older brother and he is a science professor at Concordia University. He teaches astronomy, meteorology, geology, and physics. Thomas Trapp teaches theology classes and Hebrew. At the end, President Ries came up to the stages to honor the two amazing professors that have taught for a combined 60 years at Concordia.

Although Dale and Thomas Trapp are in opposite fields, they can always connect faith with science. Connecting faith with learning is the root of each Poehler lecture and something that Concordia University prides itself on. Within Concordia, the Honors Program is also built on the idea of combining faith with learning. In everything they teach whether it is Hebrew or the universe, the Drs. Trapps teach it by incorporating God into their lessons each and every day. In the honors program's title there is the emphasis of combining faith and learning. This idea is the foundation of the Poehler lecture, the Honors program, and Concordia University.

The Poehler lecture was interesting and it was wonderful to hear how teachers still combine their faith within what they do on a day to day basis. In science, when Professor Dale Trapp teaches, he emphasizes that humans have little understanding of everything around us. In science, humans don't understand absolutely everything. The world is full of theories but little known truths. This is the same with theology. We don't always know God's meaning or intentions but there is still so much to learn. Additionally, there is still much more to learn and comprehend in science. The only thing I didn't necessarily like or completely understand was the short lecture that each professor was giving. The lectures seemed rushed in a way and I didn't comprehend as to what idea they were trying to accomplish with the short lectures about the various topics they teach. Was there a deeper purpose that I didn't understand? My mind probably wandered at the wrong moment causing me to miss a main idea. It does that sometimes... or often.

Vespers Concert

2012-04-23T00:08:48Z

On Thursday April 19^th, the Jubilate Easter Vespers Service was held in the Graebner Memorial Chapel. In their red robes, the Jubilate Choir sang many Christian songs to celebrate the day that Christ was risen from the dead. The choir began by singing out in the meeting area of the chapel. Then, they processed in surrounding the audience. Throughout the concert many verses were read aloud by members of the choir. Some of these verses were recognizable from songs sung at mass. The audience also participated within this concert by singing with the choir during some of their songs. Many families were in attendance along with various honors students. The organ played loudly while the audience sang with the choir but most of the choir songs were a cappella. The concert came full circle when the choir sang out in the meeting space again to finish the concert.

The concert related to Being Human and Christian in an Interconnected World. In the Honors Program, the students are connecting faith with learning while the choir is connecting their music with their faith. Also, music connects to much of people lives not just their faith. Music can also relate to people's emotions. Largo or grave songs which are very slow can relate to sorrowful emotions while vivace and prestissimo songs are very fast moving and lively, therefore, they usually are associated with happier times. Music can relate to everything and it can create emotions. That's what makes it so interesting and exciting.

At first I was unwilling to go to the concert even though I knew it was necessary for my music blog. (My team had something going on). The concert was a new type of concert for me. I grew up being in numerous choir concerts but I went to a public school so all of our concerts had to be at least half secular music. This concert was entirely sacred music. The Vespers Concert incorporated music into their faith just like we do every time we go to church. Between the songs there were Bible verses but the songs emphasized the meanings of these verses. My favorite part of the concert was Earth Song because my high school choir sang that during my sophomore year. Amazingly enough I still remember most of the alto part. I love the variety of the dynamics in that song and the way these dynamics tell a story. I also appreciate the dissonance within the beginning of the piece. The way the notes "fight" against each other adds another depth to the already amazing piece. I could go on and on because its pieces like Earth Song that reminds me why it is that I love singing so much and how much I miss it now.

Callings: Post Modern Christianity

2012-04-20T16:14:42Z

Feodor Dostoevsky lived from 1821 to 1881. He was a Russian novelist. Placher writes in his last novel which he finished a year before his death, he portrayed many of the issues that disturbed him during his lifetime. He utilized the contrast of two brothers: Alexy, the young monk and Ivan, the skeptic who believes "if God is dead, everything is permitted." This excerpt exhibits the thoughts of Alexy's mentor: Father Zossima. He explained the dangers of Western ideas, the characteristic Russian virtues, and his view of the meaning of freedom. Father Zossima began by asking the question, "What is the monk?" After that, he explained how people are against monks because they view them as beggars and the bottom of society. The author said the meek and humble monks in society go unnoticed. Also, the author viewed the monks as pure people who keep the image of Christ "fair and undefiled." He believed others who have put themselves above Christ have distorted the image of God. Furthermore, Father Zossima explained how the modern view of the world is to satisfy all of one's desires. He believed the monastic life: "Obedience, fasting, and prayer are laughed at yet, only through them lies the way to real, true freedom." Later on, he explicated how the monks need to "take care of people and guard their hearts."

Dostoevsky illustrated his strong views through the characters in his novel. Dostoevsky had similar views to Father Zossima. His views illustrated the wrongs of society. Too many people are putting themselves above God and putting others down such as monks. This also relates to Luther's Temporal Authority. Luther made a strong point of saying that God is above everything and is the ultimate authority so when people place themselves above God, they are acting unchristian.

I found Feodor Dostoevsky's story to be interesting and an easy read. It is also very relatable. Even in today's society there are people constantly judging others. Similar to the story where people viewed the monks wrongly, people today are viewing others wrongly. Not just religious people, but everyone. Maybe instead of judging people by what we notice on the outside or what stereotypes there are, we should get to know someone and then decide whether or not to like them.

Let's Play Ball!

2012-04-04T03:27:16Z

On Saturday March 31st, Concordia University's softball team went up against the wolves from Northern Statue University. During the first game, Ashley Kluever pitched. Early on in the first game, the wolves took the lead by one because of a couple of walks, passed balls, and an error. In the next half inning, CU tied the game. In the fourth inning, NSU picked up another run due to an error but Concordia fought back in the bottom of the sixth inning by getting two more runs. The Golden Bears held the Wolves in the seventh inning to win the game. The final score was 3 to 2.

Sports are a part of so many people's lives. Many people love to watch and play sports. It has become a part of everyday life for many people especially in America. Playing sports gives people a chance to have a goal: a goal to be better, faster, and stronger. Also being in a team sports gives many people a sense of belonging. Watching sports gives people a chance celebrate together. It brings people together so that they can cheer on their team to hopefully, a victory. Sometimes, people forget just how much sports affect people's lives. One can feel the sense of achievement after a win and the sense of failure after a loss. It might not mean as much in life but most people know that feeling and can relate to others because of it.

Being a student athlete is not new for me but in college it's been a very different experience. Although I do not get to play much this year, I truly enjoy being on the softball team. During this game, I was put in to pinch run for Missie Feuerbach and I scored the third run! I have played softball since I was 7 years old and I have gained a lot of knowledge not just about softball, but about life. In softball, the mental game is everything. If a person does not walk up to the plate with the right mentality, then usually the person doesn't get on base. There's so much that I have already learned this year and much that I have improved on. Concordia has a great program and a great team. I have never been on a more supportive and enthusiastic team. I hope to see many more wins come from our team coming into April and throughout the rest of the season!

George Fox

2012-03-31T01:34:22Z

George Fox lived from 1624 to 1691. Growing up, he found many churches to be insufficient. By the time he was a teenager, he concluded that "only the Inner Light of the living Christ provides a reliable guide to religious truth." He also stated how that light was within everyone. Fox did not believe in churches and he was arrested many times because of this belief and others. Later on in life, he founded the Society of Friends which was called the "Quakers." In this passage, he wrote about how church leaders could not just come from Oxford or Cambridge because schooling was not enough to make a man a minister of Christ. Fox also asked "Did not the apostle say to believers, that 'they needed no man to teach them, but as the anointing teacheth them'?" He goes on to state more dislikes about the church. "At another time it was opened in me that God, who made the world, did not dwell in temples made with hands." Fox goes on to explain of more reasons why he was against the idea of a church and he discusses his life after prison.

George Fox believed that God was speaking to him and through him. He utilized this knowledge to fight against the church and was persecuted for it. He firmly stood up for his beliefs, which is what he believed God wanted him to do. Also, in a way, he was like Luther. He had a completely different idea on how people should worship. People should be able to worship almost anywhere and still be a congregation without the physical church. Also, he started his own group of people called the Society of Friends" in order to expand on what God had told him. Fox always fought for what he believed and revolutionized a new way of thinking about the idea of church.

I found George Fox to be sort of relatable. I have had issues with my church in the past and it became a lot easier for me to worship God on my own rather than in a church or cathedral. Also, worshiping within a church especially my church growing up, has a lot of "rules" to follow such as no food before mass and one has to go to confession. Sometimes I just go through the motions with realizing the meaning. On another note, when Fox gave the example of the woman who was not allowed to speak in the church, I felt angry just like he felt. Why shouldn't someone be allowed to ask a question in church? Furthermore, Fox might have been slightly crazy because he did have other voices inside his head speaking to him, but he claimed that it was God and most believed him. I'm behind his beliefs whether or not they came from God.

Arcadia

2012-03-27T15:31:55Z

Arcadia was set in two different time periods: 1890 and the present. This intertwining of the past and present illustrates the comparable relationship between the quests for knowledge over time. Arcadia begins with a scene from 1890. Septimus Hodge, played by a fellow zeta, Jordan Voges, was tutoring young Thomasina Coverly who was played by Sarah Carpenter. Thomasina is very bright for her young age and Septimus is intrigued by her but doesn't allude to it. The scene plays on to introduce a couple more characters such as Ezra Chater, played by Alex Wright, and the gardener, Mr. Noakes, played by Alan Holasek. The audience begins to understand that Septimus is a womanizer who's had relations with Mrs. Chater and Lady Croom. Lady Croom (played by Natalie Pieper) is Thomasina's mother. Very prevalent in the first scene was the thirst for knowledge. Every character, especially Thomasina was filled with curiosity for mathematical and sexual knowledge. The aspiration for historical knowledge becomes more prominent in the next scene. This scene includes Hannah Jarvis, played by Danessa Snustad, and four other characters who contribute to the story. The present day characters are working assiduously to discover what really occurred during 1890 at the home of Thomasina. These present day characters begin to discover information about the past while their own story unfolds. Bernard Nightingale, played by Scott Tolzmann, is searching for information on Ezra Chater. Chloe (played by Erika Bjornstad) is searching for "love." Hannah is searching for information on Septimus. As more scenes play out, there is a struggle between emotion and intelligence. Hannah Jarvis and Valentine Coverly represent intellect while Thomasina and Septimus exemplify emotion. The audience also begins to see more of the passion for both knowledge and love. In the last scene, the two time periods truly do become intertwined. Most of the characters are on stage. There is much more chaos. Valentine and Hannah discovered the genius of Thomasina and how her theorem would have made her famous had she not died before age seventeen. The scene constantly switches between past and present but the two stories begin to connect more and more. In one scene Thomasina is asking Septimus to teach her how to waltz. In the other scene, Gus who is a mute boy but fond of Hannah, and Hannah begin to dance. Septimus realizes his love for Thomasina right before her untimely death. Both couples Waltz as the final scene comes to a conclusion.

This play had much deep meaning and many interpretations. Some say that the original writer of Arcadia, Tom Stoppard was a genius. There is much passion exhibited in the play: passion for knowledge and passion for sex. These passions are constantly seen in today's society especially the latter. Marketing and advertising exploit such passions. Stoppard builds on these passions to give the play a deeper meaning and to relate it to today's society. Furthermore, he juxtaposed the lives of similar people from the 19th century and from the present time. This helped to illustrate how intellect has not changed; only the technology has. Also passion is unchanged from the past to the present. Finally, Arcadia brought together these two opposite time periods to bring about a deeper meaning by relating the 19th century to today's society.

I found this play to be rather difficult to follow. There were so many different events occurring and so much intellectual talk that I felt it was over my head. Even though the play exhibited both love and intellect, I thought that the intellect was overshadowing the passion. It was ultimately difficult to decipher who loved whom. Because I'm such a sap for romantic comedies, I was begging for a little more love and a little less of the mathematical equations. Also, the themes were very challenging to figure out. I had to do a lot of research on my own to fully appreciate the play. All in all, I thought the play was difficult to follow, but I have more appreciation for it now because of the deeper meanings within it.

Teresa of Avila

2012-03-24T00:59:37Z

Teresa of Avila lived from 1515 to 1582. She became a nun in the Carmelite order in 1535 and she wrote about her life there in her autobiography which is where the reading comes from. Teresa considered herself to be wicked even though she came from a large, Christian family with good morals. She explained in her autobiography how she began to stray away from her faith when she began to read a lot. Also, she began to care more about her outward appearance. She took her appearance into much consideration for many years and looking back, she thought she had done very wrong. She also started a friendship with a relative who taught her about immoral things and ungodly things. Her parents greatly disliked this relationship. She considered herself clever at doing what was wrong. She wrote, "As a result of my intercourse with this person, I was so changed that I lost nearly all my soul's natural disposition to virtue, so influenced was I by her and by another who was given to the same kind of amusements..." Later on she was taken to a convent so she could be educated. Being around the nuns gave Teresa a new and much holier perspective. She fought with poor health for much of her life. When she was at the convent, she experienced severe fainting fits along with fevers. Her ailments began to get worse during her first year in the nunnery. At one time, she went to a town to undergo terrible "treatments" hoping her disease would be cured. Outside of her illness, she wanted to be guided to God with the help of someone but nobody would help her. Later on, she believed it was by God's choice that no one was there to teach her. Teresa wrote, "For I believe it would have been impossible for me to persevere for the eighteen years during which I suffered this trial and these great aridities, though not being able, as I have said, to meditate." She believed that the Lord released her of her wickedness and had greatly improved her life.

Her autobiography showed how her thoughts changed much about God throughout her life. Even though she came from a highly religious family, she was strayed away from religion by corrupt relatives. She looked back on her wickedness later in life and still chose to be one with God. She chose to become a nun. Also, she learned from her previous mistakes. The lessons she learned are very relatable. She found love for God and she learned that this is the greatest love of all.

I felt that this story was very relatable. Many Christians have dealt with the issue of straying away from God. There are so many bad temptations in today's world that it becomes very difficult to stay faithful. Most people deal with similar trials in their life. I can say that I have also dealt with a trial like hers. In high school, I dealt with anxiety issues and finally I was discussing the issues with a teacher and she asked my how my spiritual life was. Needless to say, I had very little spirituality in my life at the time and so I took her words to heart and began reading psalms in the bible while also listening in church more. I have learned from issues in my life just like Teresa of Avila did but she went a much holier path by becoming a nun.

Callings Part 2

2012-02-24T18:54:01Z

For last Monday in Honors, the class had to read another part of Callings by William C. Placher. One of the stories from the reading included letters written by Bernard of Clairvaux. Bernard of Clairvaux lived from 1090 to 1153. This was a time when many people joined monasteries to be devout Christians. In 1112, Bernard joined the Cistercian order which was a strict reform movement in monasticism. In the reading there are two letters written by Bernard of Clairvaux. The first letter was written to Walter de Chaumont and the second letter was written to a youth named Fulk. In the first letter, Bernard chastises Walter de Chaumont for wanting to return home and take care of his mother instead of joining the monastery. Bernard believed that straying away from the monastery meant straying away from one's faith in God. Bernard castigated Walter for wanting to be with his mother more than with God. He also brings up bible verses to endorse his argument. "Choose therefore, of these two alterative which you will either, that is, to secure the wish of one or the salvation of both. But if you love her so much, have the courage to leave her for her sake, lest if you leave Christ to remain with her she also perish on your account." Basically, Bernard of Clairvaux explains that no matter what, his mother will die, but if Walter takes care of her then that will ruin both of them. Walter must join the monastery to receive salvation and to save his mother. In the other letter, Bernard writes to Fulk who left the monastery to return to the secular life with his uncle. Fulk is chastised even more than Walter because Fulk broke an oath. This was an oath to the monastery. He chose to leave God and return to lifestyle working for a living. Bernard calls him cowardly and blatantly repeats all his wrongdoings. Overall, Bernard fully supports becoming part of a monastery and chastises people who decide to leave the monastery.

Bernard of Clairvaux was an extreme Christian because he had very strict views on what Christians needed to do to achieve salvation. As already mentioned, he viewed that not becoming part of a monastery meant a person was another "baptized trash." Bernard was also very direct with his beliefs. He utilized the Bible constantly to explain his views. Also, he wrote many letters illustrating his perspective of his Christian beliefs to other people. Only two letters were shown in the reading but one could imagine how his strong views were presented within other letters. His thoughts helped show others how God needs to come first over family and achieving salvation is greater than the life lived on earth.

I don't believe that a person can only receive salvation if he or she joins a monastery. It's amazing how dissimilar the views of Christianity were then compared to the views of Christianity today. Bernard's views were a little strict and at some times, he was close-minded. I believe that Fulk was wrong for what he did. He made an oath to the monastery and then broke that oath by leaving it. On the other hand, I don't believe that Walter was as wrong. Bernard did not even like the idea of Bernard going home to see his mother before she got sick. I understand that God comes before family but I would have liked to see my family member once before she died just so I could say goodbye. The question I have is why was Bernard so interested in these men and why did he worry about them? Maybe he should have just prayed about them. Maybe Bernard was being somewhat of a hypocrite by focusing on others versus God. All in all, I think Bernard of Clairvaux made some good points and utilized the Bible well to support his views but in some instances I think he was a little too close-minded.

Dinner with JoBe

2012-02-22T16:19:53Z

The honors students had the honor of meeting JoBe Cerny on February 15th which was the same day as the convocation. The class ate with him in the President's conference room. He began by doing his widely known laugh and then he talked about his life. Cerny, of course, has had much success. He has a background of drama, English, and theology. He discussed what his dreams were and how he worked to achieve them. He then asked the class what ours dreams are. The first person to speak was Anna D. She discussed how she is going into church work but also has a love for working in the theater. She was wondering if there was a way to satisfy both dreams. He answered yes. To emphasize his point, Cerny brought up a story about when he was in 8th grade and had an interview at Shedd's Aquarium. They wanted to offer him the job until they realized he was too young. Even though he didn't get the job then, he worked at the aquarium later on in his life. He emphasized how a person can do everything they want to do. Then Lauren told JoBe her dream of becoming a writer. He asked what type of work she would like to write and she replied novels with a classical style of writing. He gave her a lot of great insight on when to write and what to do while writing. After that, more people asked questions including myself. I asked how he stays positive because, earlier, he had discussed that one needs to always have a positive attitude, set goals, and learn how to achieve those goals. He answered by saying that one can choose to like or dislike something. Everyone has the choice to have a positive or negative day. On top of that, he highlighted the fact that one should stay in shape because how can one take care of the mind if he or she cannot take care of the body? JoBe also mentioned how much he does on a day to day basis so Chris had to ask him how many hours of sleep he gets a night. Cerny answered by saying "about 5 to 6." Overall, JoBe Cerny gave a lot of good insight on how to achieve ones dreams and to ultimately become a better person.

JoBe Cerny, having a background in drama, was a very good speaker and vocalized his beliefs well. His thoughts and goals related to everyone in the classroom. He also gave insight on how to involve one's Christianity within one's work. Just because someone is going into a non-Christian related field doesn't mean that he or she cannot carry their Christian beliefs with him or her to that work place. In his stories and advise, he illustrated how important it is to have a positive attitude and to take life a little less seriously. He loved to add humor especially with his story about a miracle he saw. He explained how he saw a miracle occur when a man on a plane ate a chicken wing without getting any sauce on his white clothes. His humor was refreshing and his advice was meaningful.

Overall, I enjoyed the discussion with JoBe Cerny. I loved his thoughts on always having a positive attitude which is something I have personally struggled with in the past. He also had this amazing energy. He works various jobs, stays in shape, doesn't get much sleep, but still seems to keep a positive attitude. This attitude translates into everything he does on a day to day basis. Also, I was intrigued by his ability to incorporate his Christian beliefs into his everyday life and while working. He is a great role model, because of his Christian views, his attitude, and his work ethics.

The Word of Promise

2012-02-21T18:04:55Z

On Wednesday, February 15th, many students went to watch JoBe Cerny at the convocation. The main topic of the convocation was the newly released audio version of the Bible. This Bible includes famous actors such as Jim Caviezel who plays Jesus, Richard Dreyfuss who plays Moses, and Gary Sinise who plays David. This new audio Bible is called The Word of Promise. There are 79 CDs that make up the entire King James Version of the Bible. JoBe Cerny directed the entire audio bible. It took four years and about 600 actors to complete the large project. When JoBe Cerny came on stage he began with his famous laugh because he is best known for the voice of the Pillsbury Dough Boy. Then, Cerny discussed The Word of Promise and the process he went through to finish such a large project. As stated earlier, about 600 actors had to be cast as different parts and the script, because it was the exact words of the Bible, was enormous. After this, he played a nine minute section of the New Testament. This nine minute section was filled with action and sounds and music that made it feel as if one is watching a movie. The orchestra and sounds added much more depth to the already amazing acting. After the clip from one of the CDs, Cerny took questions. A person asked whether or not it will be released in different languages. Cerny answered with not until there is enough money to produce it. Also, he said that anyone can purchase the set at the school bookstore. Overall, JoBe Cerny was a great speaker and did well to market The Word of Promise.

The convocation acted as a way to market a new item. This new item provides people with a new way to look at the bible (or to hear it). Hopefully, The Word of Promise will also be a way to bring more people to learning the Bible. Just from hearing those nine minutes, one can tell that the audio Bible brings a new depth and deeper meaning to the Bible. Also, it helps the listener create a picture of what is actually happening. This unique version of the Bible offers not only the words of the Bible but the sounds that create images of the time period and of the amazing stories within the Bible.

I enjoyed the convocation. Some people viewed it negatively because they thought it was simply just a way to advertise The Word of Promise. I, as a business student, believe the convocation was a great way to market the audio Bible. This is a Lutheran school where many Christians will be interested in purchasing this not only for themselves but for their families. This audio Bible has the power to broaden the views of Christians everywhere by creating a better idea of what the stories in the Bible are like. Each person in the Bible now has greater depth because of the abilities of the actors portraying them. The Word of Promise expresses the Bible in a way that hasn't been done before.

Elephants and Donkeys

2012-02-15T03:03:12Z

Last Tuesday, some of the Honors students decided to go to a political caucus. I chose to go to the Republican Caucus even though I am registered as an independent.   The caucus was held at an elementary school. In the dimly lit gymnasium, various speakers came up to speak about the candidate that he or she is representing. First, there was an introductory speaker. He sadly, was not a very good public speaker but at least he introduced the next speakers. The next speaker came up to represent Ron Paul. His arguments for Paul were that he wants to reduce spending in order to lower the nation's debt by trillions. Then, a woman came up to speak about Newt Gingrich. Her argument included Gingrich's idea to make new jobs and balance the budget. Finally, a fourth speaker came up to the podium to represent Mitt Romney. He received much applause. He proposed that Romney wants to reduce spending and balance the nation's budget. Then everyone was divided into their separate precincts. The Honors students all went to the same precinct. There ended up being more viewers than voters in that precinct. Each precinct had a leader that led the discussion and read the rules. First, the precinct had to elect a chair, a vice chair, and a secretary. Because there were so few of people it took a while for someone to finally step up to the plate and nominate him or herself. Once those were decided, the group also had to choose 3 delegates and 6 alternatives. Next on the list of things to do, the group brought up resolutions. Katie, a former honors student, brought up a resolution to support gambling so that it could help fund other things such as education.   This resolution led to a long debate. One side which was basically just Katie wanted to support gambling in order to increase tourism. The other side was against gambling because of the negative impact it has on people. Gambling is currently disallowed by the Minnesota State Constitution. Finally the group came to agree that their platform shouldn't be for or against gambling (because it currently is against it.) Finally there was one more resolution that everyone agreed on. Then everyone except the Honors students voted on which candidate they wanted to win the presidency.   There were no votes for Gingrich, 8 votes for Paul, 2 for Santorum, and 2 for Romney. After this, the secretary brought the paper to someone downstairs about this precinct's resolutions.

The caucus was a way to get Republican supporters to come together to discuss their beliefs and ideas of change. This event illustrates how powerful democracy really is when everyone gets a say in voting and sharing ideas or resolutions. Not only is a caucus a way to share personal beliefs, it is also a way to help assist a person in his or her decision on who to vote for. The undecided can come and receive more insight on the candidates. The caucus also seemed to be a way to meet people that live in the same area. The ideas discussed in the smaller groups brought up good debates. Also, people were welcomed to talk about their ideas.   All in all, politics apply to everyone in the United States. Events like the caucuses bring people together to share beliefs and ideas on the candidates and issues.

First off, I do not like politics. I dislike saying this just because I'm so grateful to be living in a democracy but I hate political debates and candidates. I have always felt that it is slightly corrupt and confusing. The thing that irritates me the most is how stupid some people are when it comes to politics. Some people are so set on their party that they won't even look at the views of the candidate before voting. In today's world, the candidate with the most money and the better campaign always seems to win. For example, in South Dakota, we just voted in a representative who doesn't have a college degree, has received multiple speeding tickets, and has failed to show up in court just because she's a republican. The other candidate has been the representative for four terms and votes nonpartisan. Although she is a democrat, she votes according to many factors including South Dakotan's beliefs and her beliefs. I find it frustrating that many people are so against democrats just because of Obama. Now that I have gone off on a tangent, I simply want to say that I find politics especially caucuses perplexing, but I also think that politics shouldn't be so divided. George Washington even warned the country about political parties in his farewell address. This system has become too much of a competition between elephants and asses and not a sane discussion about views and ideas.