Andrea Rowley - Thoughts on the Labyrinth

Ending our last day of class on the labyrinth on the Great Lawn was really neat. It was a way for us to try to connect with ourselves and our thoughts while working our way along the snake-like path. Doing so with a class of 20 people who were not entirely in the zone to really take it seriously was discouraging and made it hard to fully devote to. I could not get what I wanted out of it, and I wish I hadn't let some people's ways of making the labyrinth a joking matter get in the way of my state of mind. It could have been a great opportunity to allow ourselves to try something different, something we were not used to, but it was a failed attempt. If I could not get what I'd hoped out of it, I at least am glad Dr. Redick introduced us to the concept.

Andrea Rowley - Walking With Freedom

After writing about Lion King's documentary, I poked around on Trail Journals and came across his website - http://walkingwithfreedom.com/.

Just by reading his About Me, I have a whole different opinion about someone who I already thought positively of. Lion King, or Michael Daniel as his parents call him, has been hiking since 1998, and since then has hiked over 10,000 miles. 8,000 of those miles were thru-hikes on the AT. Not only has he hiked the AT, but he has thru-hiked the John Muir Trail in 2002 as well as The Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada in 2006. There is so much more to this man than we saw in his film, and it is admirable to me how dedicated he is to something he loves.

I am unsure of how dated this particular piece of information I found on his website is, but he is hiking/has hiked the American Discovery Trail which totals over 6,000 miles from coast to coast and will also be the first time ever a person has walked non-stop the entire length of the trail in one trip on foot. On top of that, he raised money for the American Heart Association over the course of nearly a year of walking.

Lion King has done so much for himself and for others just through hiking, and I just thought dedicating a journal entry to him was appropriate. For those of you who intend to start hiking - do it until you can't anymore. Nothing stopped Lion King.

Andrea Rowley - Cold Fever, Pt. 2

I've already blogged about Cold Fever, but I just want to revisit this film for a second.

I have been in love with Iceland for years. No, I have never been there, but the entire culture of that place fascinates me. I follow certain blogs based out of Iceland just to get a glimpse of the land and the people in pictures. Their language is uniquely beautiful and one I have been slowly teaching myself (emphasis on the slowly).

For those Sigur Rós fans reading, my wanderlust to travel to Iceland only grew exponentially upon watching the band's 2007 tour documentary titled Heima (view trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhLZP6Cz2dA). I mean... just LOOK at that place. It is, as we spoke of in class, awesome. The opening quote of said trailer ("I sometimes get this strange and sort of uncontrollable urge to want to go home.") is one I have always connected with in terms of my home, but I dream to someday visit their home to see exactly why he feels that way.

In short, when Dr. Redick said Cold Fever was an Icelandic film, by heart skipped a few beats. The land and the culture of the Icelandic people is simply beautiful.

Andrea Rowley - Lane's Cultural Approach

This particular post is somewhat of a cheers to John's post about the cultural approach with my own personal reflection of it pertaining to my life.

Aside from my first two years in Maryland, I have lived in various parts of Northern Virginia for the past 20 years of my life. As we all know, Northern Virginia has come to be one huge traffic jam all day every day, it seems. It is stressful and highly populated. It can take almost an hour to go 20 miles. It can be frustrating, and I know traffic in Hampton Roads is not the best either. BUT - I will go so far to say that I prefer NOVA/DC traffic to HRBT tunnel traffic any day, just because that place is home. It is all I have known, and I love every part of it. No matter how beautiful or different or calming someplace else can be, I have never connected with a place quite like Northern VA. I was literally the only person in my group of friends in high school who was sad to be leaving home for college. Everyone else went to Tech or UVA or someplace out of state, and while I am two hours from home, I still make it a point to go back whenever I have a free weekend. This place is who I have been for most of my life, and I cannot see myself feeling this exact way about any other culture or place.

Sitting in the comfort of my house right now, even if I am just here for the weekend, it is something I have been looking forward to.

Michael Pistininzi - Experience

This semester I went owl watching at the Great Dismal Swamp. It was very neat to sit and wait until dusk waiting with the ornithologist guide. He had pictures of different owls we might see and had their noises recorded on a tape to play to attract them. He also had a red light to shine on the owls to spot them. The owl was this unknown night creature that I knew nothing about and as the screech owl got closer their calls got louder and louder and I felt as if this was their home and I was a visitor. I knew that they saw me way before I saw them and it took patience, and quiet to get them to trust our group and get closer tree by tree. Eventually they came right up to us and observed us from above and occasionally swooped over us. It was an awesome experience.

Michael Pistininzi - Outside Reading

Yesterday my botany professor sent me an article about organic farming. There's some research going on about using nature's cycles to farm while reducing the impact of the farm on the surrounding ecosystem. I think this is so cool to use natural systems like composting and bio-diverse crop cycles to respect the area that you're using to farm. I think that land we use needs to be respected and anything we do to the land needs to be accounted for. I believe if more people saw the affects of their actions on the land, they would learn to respect and take care of it.

Michael Pistininzi - Outside Reading

I was reading an article about Natural Geographic photographers. It talked about how these photographers set up camp in these far off isolated places and they have to sit there for days waiting for the perfect lighting, situation, and moment to capture what their assignments are. They can be in the Sahara, Amazon, Artic, or in an African village. I think it takes such discipline to wait so long, but I feel like those photographers really connect with their subjects. I think it would be such an experience to even sit with one of these guys because they must have so much patience and the things they see while they're waiting must be so cool.

Michael Pistininzi - Outside Reading

With the research I was doing about Buddhism I was leaning about how Buddhists respected and cared for nature. I think it's great how Buddhists, especially in Asian cultures, have a certain way of thinking about nature and the natural balance and harmony it maintains. Nature isn't thought of that way in our culture for some reason, and as consumerism spreads and industrializes some of those cultures, it seems that respect for nature is lost in the need to maximize profits. I think gardening is a key hobby that more people should get involved in because it helps bridge a little bit of the nature-industry gap. Buddhists have been gardening for hundreds of years in an attempt to recreate a peaceful reflective space that incorporates nature.

Michael Pistininzi - Lane Reflection

I had a real flow experience the other week at the farmers market. All the sudden the market that I had been working to organize all semester was here. Farmers were arriving and students were crowding the entire area. I was totally in the zone telling people where to set up and getting music going and meeting all the farmers and taking pictures. I was blown away at the student and faculty turn out we had. The market started at 2 and was over at 6, but I had no idea 6 had come when it did. I was so impressed and happy at the work and fun everyone was having that time just seemed to disappear. I was glad it all worked out and I look forward to experiencing that feeling again next semester with another market.

Michael Pistininzi - Lane Reflection

I really liked the idea of communitas. I feel like this way of living needs to be more accepted by our culture. American culture is very individualistic and we lose touch with our communities. I think this is a huge reason why people ignore lots of key environmental issues that have come up in recent decades. Without a community to identify with people have no connection to the place they live and are able to just ignore problems that arise. I believe that local agricultural based communities are key to sustainable living and culture.

Michael Pistininzi - Lane Reflection

Lane discussed the aspect of phenomenology. I think its weird to think about a philosophical approach that does rely on analytical logic. Being a science major it's very different to think of an approach that goes more by appearance. However, it does make sense that once you step away from something to observe it you are taking yourself out of the experience and sometimes the experience is more crucial to understand than the objective outside view of a situation.

Robbie Ludvigsen -- Benefits of This Class

I remember this time last year when class registration was happening and I was trying to figure out my preferred ULLC. I remember seeing “Wilderness as a Sacred Landscape” as an option and immediately chuckling. I wanted to take the class just because it did not sound especially difficult and was probably fairly interesting. I ended up registering too late and missing out on taking any of the ULLCs until this past semester. Mike and I decided to take this class together and I really did not know what to expect.

This class ended up being my favorite class this semester. It was my favorite because it helped me find a lot more meaning and significance in the times I’ve spent with nature. Going into this semester, I was not expecting to spend hours every night studying and taking notes. I don’t do that for any class, to be honest. This course turned out to be a very valuable part of my college career thus far. With the liberal learning core emphasis on constructing a successful argument and research paper, the fundamental themes of this class were anchored and not susceptible to negligence or dismissal. While some of the topics we discussed in class from the text books were lofty and free from abundant solid evidence, I think if you truly paid attention to Professor Redick’s lectures and looked beyond his humorous and outlandish anecdotes, there are a lot of provocative and valuable connections were absorbing that set this class apart from others.

Robbie Ludvigsen -- Bodies of Water

I watched an interview with the musician, Noah Lennox from Animal Collective awhile ago. He answered a particular question with some thoughts about finding a good place to settle down. His current home is in Lisbon, Portugal and he explained how he has never lived somewhere that was not close to a body of water. He went on to say that living somewhere separated from a body of water would have a noticeable negative impact.

I’m not sure if you can count living two hours from Virginia Beach and east of Philadelphia as living near the Atlantic Ocean for my whole life. But after I watched Lennox’s interview I thought about the copious amount of time I spent at Virginia Beach with my grandparents as a child. And I’d like to think it had a lot of good influence when I was growing up.

I think a lot of people who would take this class might not recognize how vital water is to our Earth’s wilderness. I think the calm appearance of oceans from a shoreline contrasted with its underrated power and strength create a really inspiring effect for people. I wonder how Belden Lane would go about perceiving water as a sacred place. It would be difficult because as forests constantly look different, water looks the same at all times. And the thought that one place in an ocean can be sacred while 10 miles to the east is just normal water seems outlandish. But I’m convinced, that oceans or rivers can provide a person an opportunity to truly enter a sacred place.

Robbie Ludvigsen -- Central Park

A few weeks after I learned I was going to be spending most of summer living in New York City as an intern, I realized all the implications of that commitment. I have never once lived in a place that was not close to complete wilderness. One day I realized that I’m going to be living in a city for the best time of the year. I know I’ll have a great time, but it made me sad to think the closest I’ll get to enjoying a walk through the woods is a torturous trans-city subway ride.

Professor Redick spent some time early in the semester talking about Central Park. Albeit before living in New York for a summer was even a thought, I was still a little more curious about Central Park after that class. I have been to New York a couple times before, but the last time was in 6th grade, and before that was too long to even remember. There are a lot of pictures of my family and me in and around the picturesque places of the city, but I really don’t ever remember Central Park. I don’t even know if I’ve ever actually been there.

But seeing as the only person I’ll know in New York for an entire summer is my older and much busier sister, I imagine I’ll be alone for the first couple weeks I’m there. I love my sister a lot, but I am still planning on taking the earliest chance I have to spend a good chunk of time just relaxing in the most hidden alcoves and isolated areas. Over the last couple weeks in anticipation of the summer, I have had a wide range of thoughts on the subject. The most dominant of those thoughts is the impending misfortune of being separated from my closest friends. It’s super frightening, so the idea that there could be a place inside the city where I can get away from those thoughts is comforting. Hopefully, I can make it to a more honest area of wilderness around the city in hopes of remedying my situation as much as I can.

Robbie Ludvigsen -- Deep Run Park

There is a public park in my county that is about as important to me as any public park could possibly be. I lived in the same town for the first 5 years of my life. We moved to Pennsylvania for the start of 1st grade and then back to Virginia before 4th grade. So for about 15 years of my life, I have lived near Deep Run Park. The first time I had ever been there was in my junior year of high school.

I had a very interesting group of friends in high school. It’s not that we were socially inept and isolated from the rest of our student body, it’s just we did not really associate ourselves with many people outside of our tight knit circle. While I won’t spend a lot time covering the commonness of certain vices in our lives, I would just like to point out that my friends and I liked to experience the world with different mindsets. Although many people may tell you this is possible and just as rewarding while sitting inside; that is simply not true.

Deep Run Park was our little slice of wilderness that we could rely on when we just wanted to go nowhere. Since there is not a lot of toleration to teenagers loitering outside their cars in grocery store parking lots, we often had to retreat to the park to escape the judgement of the plethora of soccer moms and senile elders that populated our suburban town.

Whenever I reminisce about Deep Run Park, a particular day immediately comes to mind. It was probably the second half of my junior year, but I’m not really sure. I was with two of my best friends, Spencer and Ethan. We decided that we were going to spend the majority of our day in the confines of Deep Run Park. We planned to explore as per usual. But this time we decided to bring art supplies and sketchbooks. I will never forget dipping a brush into a creek and using for watercolors. It is unknowable if any of the art we produced that day was good or not. Regardless, just the memory of that day can turn a bad mood around. When I think about that day or the landscapes of Deep Run Park we all know by heart, it reminds me of a time in my life where I was beginning the process of figuring out the difference between who I thought I was and who I actually am. Considering my current state of happiness, I severely underestimated the comforts and contentment I was exposed to back then. If I could go back in time and talk to my 17 year old self, I would tell him to really and thoroughly enjoy such a simple and carefree time of your life.

Some of my friends and I will go back to Deep Run Park every so often. It’s still always a relaxing outing, but sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever feel the same way I did back then within the woods of that park. I will always connect Deep Run Park with what will seem like such a fleeting moment by the end of my life. I don’t want to perceive it as such, but when I look back, it was such a short period of my life that in reality, contained a lot of maturation and productive self-awareness.

Robbie Ludvigsen -- Bamboo Forest Part 2

After about an hour spent throwing rocks my water bottle placed on a train track (it was a lot more fun than it sounds), we found a trail that led to what was once, a very long time ago, a road. It was covered in grass and assorted man-made decorations. Mike informed us that it was an old colonial road. After about ten minutes walking down the road, we turned on to a trail that led us to our ultimate destination.

The trail we found sort of winded itself around some weeds and up a tiny dirt hill. At the crest of two of these dirt hills is where you can finally see the depth of the bamboo forest. There is no organization or order to the bamboo growth. Long, lean bamboo shoots were pointing in every direction, giving the forest a certain menacing quality. The dirt hills transform into several directions you can choose to get through the forest. If you have not ever played in a bamboo forest, I highly recommend it. If a bamboo stem is angled and leaned up against another bamboo, it lends itself nicely to a makeshift trampoline for one. When we were all inside the bamboo, we all felt incredibly fulfilled with our afternoon adventure. Needless to say, the three of us were very entertained by the bamboo forest for a good chunk of time.

All of the paths through the bamboo forest lead to a very eerie clearing. You can faintly hear the roads surrounding the park, but despite that, it feels very isolated. We stood and talked for a while in the middle of the clearing. The idea of camping out there for a night was proposed to approval from the group. I can only imagine what a night spent in a place like that would feel like.

I can truthfully say that the afternoon Mike, Colin, and I spent at Deer Park was one of the most enjoyable days I have had in awhile. This semester was so stressful from the very beginning, and to have a day devoted to eluding that was very rewarding. When I got home that night, I not only felt refreshed, but content. I was not worried or stressed about anything I had to accomplish. I was not even tired, I just felt a very rare sense of relaxation that I had forgotten was possible.

Since that day, I have been back to the bamboo forest twice. I am a little sad I won’t have a chance to visit over the summer, but I look forward to many good times spent with friends in the bamboo in the fall.

Robbie Ludvigsen -- Bamboo Forest

The other day, Mike, Colin and I all had free time in the afternoon to get together and wander around in search of some wilderness. I’m not exactly sure if we found, but our trip to Deer Park was definitely worth documenting.

After some disconcerting confusion regarding our individual methods of transportation, the three of us began a casual walk through the woods at the very back of the park. Within minutes, we were in front of a very old tree with one half of its roots planted in the ground. The other side of its roots were completely exposed as they ran right to the shore of the lake. I cannot do it justice in writing; it should be seen in person. I would not say it was some hugely profound moment that needs to be documented, but all of us were fairly impressed and spent a couple minutes in silence, moving our stares from the bottom of the tree to its canopy, and back down.

I never thought I would be scared to try and fit myself inside a hollow tree. Yet when I was about to squeeze into the tiny gap of a fully hollowed-out tree, I had a weird wave of claustrophobia come over me. I am definitely not claustrophobic; I am far too small and slender to be frightened of small spaces. Once I my whole body was inside the tree I looked straight up and saw the sunlight fall through the top of the tree and then dissipate somewhere in the middle of the trunk. Even though there was a gab in the trunk, when I was facing in the complete opposite direction it was oddly dark. I did not expect that such a brief moment spent inside of a hollow tree would feel so weird. When I walked out, I sort of chuckled to myself and did not look back at the tree.

Robbie Ludvigsen -- Lane's Diagram of Space and Place

The diagram Lane presents to the readers concerning the range of containment to freedom and being lost to being isolated is a helpful illustration in an attempt to identify the unknowns of certain locale. At the very bottom is the interesting phrase, “The Fear of Being Lost in Space,” and it is labeled with the word ‘Threat’ in bold type. I found the use of the word, ‘threat,’ to be a very deliberate choice by Lane. ‘Threat’ signifies, and most often, implies a certain danger. I find this interesting because, to me, the idea of being completely lost in space does not really correspond with anything ‘threatening.’ When I consider the thought of being lost in space, forced to meander the ether for eternity, it does not just threaten me. That thought petrifies me. It not only brings a momentary fear of death, but a sudden questioning of all things metaphysical. Just the idea of, ‘space,’ implies something bigger than ourselves.

Lane labels the opposite pole with the word, ‘Freedom,’ to describe, “The Wide-Open Spaces” located throughout the western regions of America. While a label of ‘Freedom’ might have fit its description in the diagram a century ago, it does not really ring true as a description that exists in the modern world. Does an “American Frontier” even exist anymore? Is there anything we have not touched? Some can argue that places like the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, or the Hundred Mile Wilderness in the Northeast are still uncharted frontiers. Regardless, the ‘Freedom’ that settlers traveling along the Oregon Trail felt is not the same ‘freedom’ that Americans perceive today. In the post-9/11 United States, ‘freedom’ has its many implications that connect itself with things like quelling terrorism and maintaining our image of being the best in light of the current successes of other nations.

I think the horizontal spectrum has appropriate labels, but I would certainly change the vertical labels. If I could reconstruct the diagram, I would label the bottom half with something like “Uncertainty” or “Self-doubt.” For the top half, I would replace “Freedom” with “Autonomy” or “Self-control.”

John Gunst Lion King's Film

Lion King’s Film

-Today we watched the documentary Lion King made as he attempted to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. I loved this movie. It made me want to leave school and get on the trail myself so badly. For this blog though I wanted focus on what one of the hikers said. He talked about how hiking the Appalachian Trail was just a dream, an escape from his life back in the “real world”. I think this is something we can all take to heart. Sometimes we do just need a time out from the hardships of day to day life and out in nature is the best place to find solace and peace.

John Gunst Conversations with God

Conversations with God

-I’ve already talked about another work of Neale Donald Walsch and while I don’t like to double dip, having just talked about the mountain that was God, I felt like this was a perfect time to reflect back on to another one of my favorite books. Walsch wrote this book after feel what he considered forty nine years of suffering. After many failed careers and relationships Walsch sat down and wrote and angry letter to God. The response he felt from God spawned this book. Relating it to class and what we’ve been talking about recently is that God answers us and shows himself to us in a variety of ways, much like Lane. Reflecting on both these works I had to sit down and think about how God expresses himself to me. I have always felt that when I am surrounded by family and close friends and feeling the love that they show me is when I feel most close to God. To me, God shows himself through the people he puts in my life.

John Gunst the Mountain that was God

The mountain that was God

-We just read the chapter “the Mountain that was God” from Lane’s book, and I wanted to take this time to review this chapter because I especially liked the discussion that went along with it. Lane talks of Tahoma, “the Mountain that was God” and this lead into professor Kip talking in depth about how God could never show his true self to anyone so he used burning bushes and other means to interact with his creations and it brings me to raise the question if he still uses this method to interact with us today, we just take these interactions for granted. To clarify, I mean to suggest that everyday things that don’t seem abnormal are really extraordinary. Simple example that has had me questioning since I was a child is the Sun. How could something that seems so everyday to us, be so glorious. It gives us life, supports everything we know and its something that we doesn’t think about on a day to day basis. Could it simply just be the Sun, or an instance of God trying to show us his glorify?

John Gunst The Nolan Trail

Running the Nolan

-Before I even realized it by looking at the syllabus I knew I wanted to talk about the Nolan. Being this late in the year, having done most my post already, I’ve been waiting for an exceptional day to write about being out on the Nolan. Today was one of the first days that broke away from this winter’s cold spell so I took full advantage of that by going for a run at the Nolan Trail, my favorite place of all to run. Looking around, I couldn’t help but notice the beauty all around me; the trees, the water, the wild life, everything was just perfect and I felt the peace one only feels when being in nature at the perfect time.

John Gunst Bringers of Light

Bringers of Light

-This is a great book by Neale Donald Walsche, and for a long time has been a person favorite. I haven’t read it in years but today we talked about the particulars universal, starting with shadows and moving up bodies, then concepts and forms with cats being our main example. This reminded me of this book and one of its‘ key concepts. Walsch talked a lot about the differences in “doingness” and “beingness”. Doingness refers to functions of the body and beingness refers to the functions of the soul. Walsch stresses that each individual needs to find what his beingness is and that our doingnesses will then follow. This is a great principle that I have taken to heart for many years, and I think could apply to this class and many of the lessons we are to learn throughout this semester.

John Gunst Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage

We’ve only started to read Turner’s “Images and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture” but I already know who I want to approach this book. I consider myself a christian and have been raised Presbyterian my entire life and as far as I know, there are no encouraged or even mentioned pilgrimages for my religion but for a while I’ve known that I want to walk (at least part of) the Appalachian Trail in order to grow closer to God and the world around me. So far from Turner’s work I’ve be able to gather that most major religions request their believers to make sacrificial walks in order to do the aforementioned goal but I want mine to be much more personal, and I want to do it alone. I believe such a task could not only help me in this task but personally, would give me an untapped outlet in which to grow. As I read more and my views change I will write more.

John Gunst Cold Fever

Cold Fever

-Watching this strange film, I wondered to myself what I would take out of it. This movie starts with a young, seemingly successful Japanese man giving up his vacation to Hawaii to instead go to Iceland and perform the ceremonial rites for his parents, who past away some years ago. What ensues is a plethora of odd encounters resulting in an overly dramatic moral shift for the young businessman. I don’t want to spend this blog summarizes what we just watched but I didn’t really know what all I could write about from this movie, but upon thinking reflectively, the main point that I came away with was that sometimes, when you put aside your personal wishes and do what it is you need to, instead of what you want to, the outcome and the experiences you gain can and often are, much more beneficial to you as a whole.

John Gunst Snow

Snow

-The entire year we’ve been talking in depth about the essence of nature and today it snowed, just a few flakes but the beauty of it made me stop to reflect. Being a winter guy more so than summer I love the snow (not that we get much of it) but whenever I see snow I can’t help but get excited. Today’s experience was exceptionally beautiful because it was what I woke up to. It’s still pretty early in the semester so we haven’t talked about to much but for this blog I want to talk about how, to me, snow is sacred. My family started me off skiing when I was just a wee three years old and for the past eight years I’ve converted to snowboarding. Being on a mountain top, ready to conquer the slopes is where I feel at peace, where I feel at home and to me, that makes snow sacred and waking up this morning I couldn’t imagine a more beautiful thing.

John Gunst Flow

Flow

-Today we talked about flow, the idea of “being in the zone”. I wanted to use two examples from my life, one physically and one emotionally to help add real life examples of how flow impacts us beyond just the idea. Like everyone feels at one point in there life, I was physically in the zone on a cold November day my sophomore year of high school. I ran cross country, a sport that forces people to push their bodies to the extreme and on that day I had the easy race of my life. It was District race and as a young gun in the program I was running JV. Not much went through my mind as soon as the gun went off and physically I felt like I wasn’t even pushing myself that hard but I was passed person after person I soon realized I was in the front. I won that race, ran a person best and as I recuperated it all hit me. The pain in my legs, the burning in my lungs, everything that comes with running your heart out. That is the most prevalent example in my life of being in the zone, physically. On a more emotional and spiritual level, the example that comes to mind happened in the summer before senior year when I worked at a summer camp in Pennsylvania. Each day we were given two separate one hour breaks. For no real reason, I decided to go for a walk in the woods one day during my break. As I got to the top of one of the camps many large hills I could help but feel the presence of God all around me. The trees swayed all around me and I just sat there on a log for the entire hour just enveloped spiritually. Those are the two key times in my where I’ve been “in the zone” and experienced flow.

John Gunst Songs

Songs

-Today we listened to a couple songs in class but I wanted to focus on the one we heard first. It was song from the perspective of a woman who is no longer in her home and how longingly she wishes to be back there. This song hit me especially hard because having gone “home” to Richmond the prior weekend all I could think about was how much I wanted to get back here to CNU. Now a sophomore I feel at home here, in my dorm, at CNU. I connected with the singer, reflectively thinking back to my time at home in Richmond, about how one’s soul doesn’t feel right when its not inhabiting its’ true home.

John Gunst Communitas in Sports

Communitas of Sports

-Growing up with three brothers it was always a given that at every chance I would be signed up for any team that had space. I bring this up because we’ve been talking about communitas for the past few days. Communitas refers to the unstructured society in which everyone is equal and there outside lives have no effect on the reputation they have in this new society. This immediately brings me back to my days as a freshman in high school, where no one is equal. I should clarify that it doesn’t make me think of the “high school” aspect of high school, but the days I spent on the cross country team. When I went out as a freshman, thats not what I was accepted as there. When I showed up for practice I was just another runner, like everyone else, unlike the days I spent inside the school were I was a lowly freshman.

John Gunst Communitas

Communitas

-We’ve only just started Turner’s work but from what I can tell from both the reading and our first couple lectures is that one of the key ideas that we are going to focus on is communitas. When hearing about communitas for the first time, it immediately made me think of freshman year. Everyone’s past high school lives no longer matter. Our previous grades didn’t matter nor did how popular we were, we were all freshman equals together. Turner talks about how unique the culture of communitas is and it easily relates back to my previous thought of freshman year. Never in my life had I been surrounded by so many strangers and left to make it for myself in the world and never again will any of us have a “new beginning” like that. Just like Turner focuses on how everyone in a communitas is an equal, we too were all equals when we arrived here at CNU for the first time.

John Gunst Blue Like Jazz

Blue Like Jazz

-During a family trip a couple summers ago I read a book called “Blue Like Jazz”. This book was a wonderful book that Professor Redick could teach an entire semester about. Donald Miller wrote this piece as non christians outlook on christianity. One of his most prominent chapters was when he was reflecting on a conversation he had with a non christian. Being the christian he was, that had a bit of a debate. By the end, all he could conclude was that to some God existed, and that the evidence they used to support that clearly proved to them that he did. To others, God did not exist and the evidence they brought forth, to them finalized the debate that in no way a God could exist. While this class ins’t a class on christianity, it is a class on spirituality. I think this book could be added to the class to help note the differences between spiritual experiences and religion. Being both a christian and a prospective scientist myself I often struggle with the questions presented from both sides of this argument, and from my point of view, this book greatly helps show how atheist that even if they don’t believe in a god they can believe in spiritual experiences, the backbone of this class.

John Gunst 4 Axioms

4 Axioms

-Lane gives us four guiding axioms to help us with when reading his work. The first axiom is that a sacred place isn’t chosen, but it choses. This means that people cannot seek out sacred places, but when they come across sacred land, it may choose them, and interact with them. The second axiom is that ordinary place becomes sacred through ritual meaning that when a group of people, believers or followers of any type of religion may make a place extraordinary through rituals and ceremonies. The third is that sacred place can be treed upon but not entered. This one is the most interesting to me and the one I want to focus upon for this blog. I like this axiom and to me I believe it means just because you go somewhere sacred doesn’t necessary mean anything, you need to be willing spiritually to experience the what it is that makes that place sacred. I just wanted to add my two cents about what makes this axiom meaningful before moving on to the next one. The fourth axiom is that sacred place is both local and universal. To me this means that you can go to a sacred place (local), physically, but when you leave, the memory of that place and meaningful revelations had there will always be with you, everywhere you go (universal).

John Gunst The 3 approaches

The 3 Approaches

-Even though we have three approaches to help connect with nature, today I wanted to talk about the the Cultural approach. The Cultural approach states the people identify with Place and that that place defines them and their culture. I’ve already talked about how I feel most at home when I am in the mountains, surrounded by snow, but looking at this approach I felt it necessary to talk about it more and how it defines me and my small niche within culture. For as long as I can remember, all I’ve wanted in life is to move to Colorado and live in a log cabin at the top of a skiable mountain. That is who I am and while CNU is what I consider home, that is what I want my home to be. Living in Virginia has been nothing short of great and while I love the beach and the warmth we get for most of the year by living in the south (somewhat), the mountains and in the cold is really where I long to be. That is who I am and that is the life I want, the culture I want and I can’t help but feel that that is one of the key factors in determining who I am.

Andrea Rowley - Response to Lion King's DVD

In class, we watched the documentary made by a thru-hiker known by the name of Lion King. He flmed his thru-hike on the AT from Georgia to Maine in 2003. From the few chances I have been exposed to someone's thru-hike on the AT, there are nothing but praises and good words said about the accomplishment. What I loved most about the documentary was how Lion King did not sugarcoat anything about his life-changing hike. Surely there were many good things that happened along the way, and Lion King could have easily compiled clips of solely the good moments. But he didn't. From the extra-rainy hiking season to the injuries and frustrations, everything Lion King wanted to show in his DVD was everything that made up his journey on the trail.

Andrea Rowley - Flow

Turner describes flow as "the merging of action and awareness, the crucial component of enjoyment" (254). As mentioned in class, this flow is crucial in sports. Having played volleyball for all throughout middle and high school, the idea of flow is all too familiar to me. It is nearly impossible to successfully serve the ball to the opposing team if all you are focused on are the crowds of people cheering you on and the crowds of people hoping you will fail. Concentration is crucial for flow and it is crucial to avoid realizing you are "in the zone". By doing so, you practically cancel it out.

Kevin Smith - Response to Andrea/Crabtree Falls/final post

I really enjoyed reading Andrea's poem and what she said about appreciating nature and all it is. I feel for me that my interest in nature is increasing every day.

I never really enjoyed nature and the outdoors that much when I was younger. I have always been more a city and beach kind of kid, but I believe my persona is slowly changing. Ever since spending last summer living by the Smokey Mountains it's been different. Going hiking and swimming in waterfalls and taking in God's creation quite often, i have come to see the beauty of the outdoors. And after taking this class with Kip Redick and delving into nature even more, seeing what it is and how it affects us and us, it...my new love has been reaffirmed. This semester, it has been so incredibly interesting learning points of views, beliefs, thoughts, axioms, and analyzations. Also seeing and hearing video clips, songs, pictures, and testimonies of nature, and how certain trail journeys are transitions and growing points in peoples lives. It's very cool, profound stuff.

Today I actually went on an impromptu hike with two friends to Crabtree Falls in Tyro, Virginia. We really should have been studying because it was Reading day, but to no avail. We just could not refuse the beckoning of an awesome adventure!! While I was having a great time, at a certain point in our venture the hike turned into a difficult upward climb towards the top of the falls. I was getting so tired and winded because i'm not in the best shape, and it completely sucked. My friends were peeling away from me and I was lagging a little behind. "Come on, Kev keep up!!", I heard Zach say. I was getting kind of mad with myself. "I am trying my best!" I thought in my head. But then, all of a sudden, I remembered where I was. I was in Creation! I noticed bugs crawling at slow paces. Trees dripping with dew. Sunshine peering through the pine branches. I heard the lovely roar of the falls in the near distance. I reminded myself to take in the experience and have a good time. Once we got to the top I had such a sense of accomplishment and my friends rejoiced with me, not even drawing attention that I was a little ways behind them :) We made it to the top, and the view was beautiful!


pics from my phone:

Andrea Rowley - Liminality

Aside from communitas, liminality was one of my favorite terms to become familiar with this semester. Turner described liminality as "the state and process of mid-transition in a right of passage" (249). I find myself applying this term to my life every chance that I get. For one, I love putting a scholarly term to something you have always been able to describe but never knew what to call it. I've applied this term to myself, to my friend who recently graduated into being a marine, and to my brother who is on the verge of leaving this youthful stage of his life behind in order to do something with his degree in Psychology. I love the ambiguity of the in-between phase and knowing that what you enter the phase to become may not be the person you thought you would be when you left it.

Andrea Rowley - Home

a girl who resides near the city
where the wilderness hardly exists
day by day, it disappears more and more
making it difficult to know what it is
and that explains why i am here

This was the five-lined poem that I wrote on the first day of class this semester. Some people may have kept them. Some people may have thrown them away. I, for one, kept mine. I did so in order to be reminded of why it is that I took this course. Home for me is and always has been Northern Virginia, right outside of Washington, DC. Those who live there, you understand how quickly trees go down and houses go up. All of this happened right before my eyes as I grew older. As I have mentioned in a previous post, I practically lived outdoors when I was younger. To see the wilderness taken away more and more as the years passed, it made it hard to believe that nature even existed anymore.

This class became more of a comfort/security zone to my wonders and made me believe that it is still possible to escape to someplace that has been preserved for anyone who needs to get away from the ever-changing world we know.

Andrea Rowley - Music and Nature

There were few times in class where we stopped for a few minutes, looked at a slide show of landscapes and listened to music. This was quite honestly one of my favorite things to do in this class. If you see me walking to class from east campus or while doing work in the library, you will see that I always have my headphones on. Music is such an escape for me. Being able to put music to nature is such a great thing, especially for someone who appreciates music. By putting someone with headphones on in a natural setting, they are more adept to appreciate not only the music they are listening to, but also the view around them.

Kevin Smith "What moves you?"

I'm sitting writing last minute blogs like i'm sure many of us are doing for this class :) But while i'm thinking and writing im plugged into my computer headphone jack, listening to some simple acoustic music. And while sitting here amongst the hustle and bustle of Einstein's cafe late at night I find myself moved. Watching others chat with their friends, or freaking out about an exam tomorrow, or writing a paper in the corner silently. Listening to the music just enables me to think and wonder. Wonder about our world and lives as a whole. What is the purpose of every student, being here at CNU? To get a degree and then what? Get a job and lots of money and go through life in a mindless droll?

I think just sitting back and reflecting on life is one of my favorite things to do in the whole world. I'm not even someone who is big on philosophy, but I really believe we all need to do this. Turn up the tunes and just ponder about everything you've done and everything before you. And see what moves you.

Andrea Rowley - Cold Fever

The visualization portrayed in Cold Fever is a daunting one. The intense weather, wind blowing, snow everywhere, making it hard to travel and see forced Hirata to put up a fight he did not even want to put up with. This parallels with his spiritual journey - he felt obligated to go to Iceland to put his parents to rest peacefully, even though he really wanted to spend his vacation in Hawaii. He faced many hardships and setbacks, including but not limited to flat tires, being car-jacked, snow blocking the major road to reach his destination and having his car break down. This all paid off once he overcame it all. The setbacks and frustrations leading up to the destination reflect the weather and the wide open, endlessly white land - difficult.

One distinct landmark that turned Hirata's views around was the funeral he came upon at the beginning. It was there that he met Laura, the funeral collector. He was taken aback by her views on funerals, how they were beautiful and allowed families to grieve and find closure. All he knew was what his culture forced him to believe - funerals were an obligation. However, if it were not for happening upon the particular funeral where he met Laura, he would not have been able to see the ritual as anything other than what he knows.

Another distinct feature of the landscape that symbolized the greatest part of Hirata's spiritual journey was the bridge which he had to cross to reach the river. Not only was the bridge a crossing-over, physically, but it also reflected the crossing-over in his journey. Once Hirata crossed the bridge, it was then that he got to focus on the burial ritual and for once really connect with what was around him. As he said at the end, a journey can take you to a place not on any map, and that holds true to parallel his spiritual journey in Iceland.

Kevin Smith "Topos and Chora"

It took a while for me to find a good analogy for Topos and Chora. Topos is defined to be as simply "place". Chora is described as the "energizing force" behind a location. I kind of feel that CNU can describe this or any university for that matter. Every university has it's buildings and lawns and dinning halls and libraries. But what makes the schools work? The people. The students and professors. The faculty and staff. They give it energy and are the driving force behind. Let's be honest, the school wouldn't be anything but a set of buildings and pretty lawns without the people. CNU is an example of Topos and Chora.

Andrea Rowley - Buddhism, Vegetarianism and Nature

I did my final paper on Buddhists and argued that they should eat a vegetarian diet for the duration of their pilgrimage to Bodh Gaya. For those who are unfamiliar with the topic, Bodh Gaya is the location where Buddha attained Supreme Enlightenment and is one of the four most important pilgrimage sites to Buddhists.

Upon doing research, it surprised me that all Buddhists are not vegetarians considering they firmly believe in ahimsa, which translates as "no harm". This is part of the foundation for the religion's belief systems, including the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. Upon doing further research for my paper, I began to find more and more claims that eating meat, whether you killed it yourself or not, should be forbidden and that eating meat you did not directly kill still supports causing harm upon a living creature.

Reading the stances from many Buddhists about vegetarianism, I am shocked that they all do not believe it is necessary. For one, they are going against their very belief system, and they are also disrupting and stealing from the nature around them. If they stopped eating meat altogether, it would be a lot more easier to have a peaceful mind in a peaceful setting so that they can ultimately achieve enlightenment in the way that Buddha did.

Andrea Rowley - Communitas

What I love about being in college is being able to apply what you learn to your every day life. I especially feel like I can do just that with the ideas I learn in this specific course. I know I go back to this a lot in my blog posts, but I cannot help myself from applying things to my experiences with the Campus Activities Board. Going on my third year in the organization and my second year on the executive board, I find myself living within communitas. Obviously, being on CAB does not involve a pilgrimage or a journey, but there are extraordinary experiences that Turner discusses that occur between my fellow members, the acts we bring to campus, and the students who attend them. My favorite part about being so involved with CAB is how people from all different backgrounds and "cliques" come together to bond over a shared interest. Anyone involved with CAB can tell you they have become friends with people they never would have known or never would have thought they would be friends with, and that is because they all came together with a common goal or a common interest in mind. Any opportunity to feel like you belong is one you should take a chance on. You always walk away with more than you bargained for.

Andrea Rowley - Reflection on the Noland Trail

As I have mentioned before, I am on my third year here at CNU, all the while being less than a mile away from the Noland Trail. I have walked part of it before, but it was not until taking this class that I ever really began to see what was around me. Not only did it open my eyes to a deeper look at nature and truly connecting with it, but it also gave me a chance to connect with who I was when I was much younger. I lived for the outdoors as a kid, and being outdoors in nature for a class really put into perspective how much our generation takes it for granted.

Quite honestly, having the Noland Trail so close to campus is a blessing in disguise. It is comforting to know there is a quiet place in the heart of a busy city that can give someone a quick and safe seclusion to reconnect with themselves if need be.

Emily madeline- habitat & habitus

Lane talks about habitat and habitus. Habitat is where we live and habitus is the ritualized action that makes a place habitat. Military families are familiar with this even if they recognize it or not. When a family moves to a new base or fort they go through a process of adjustment. They find a new home, new schools, new grocery stores. By doing all this, they jsut that regular base into their new habitat, even if it's just for 2 years.

Emily Madeline response to Kevin Smith

I wanted to respond to Kevin Smith's post. It was brillant. I guess getting so caught up with school and work and life I don't stop to appreciate the little things as much as I should. I wanted to add to some of the little things that I don't always appreciate or over look.

1. The way it sounds when children and babies laugh. It's so cute and pure, they aren't trying to impress anyone or go along with the joke so they fit in.

2. Having a job. Seriously, not everyone has one anymore these days and to have one is awesome. Even though I don't always love going to work, and sometimes wish I was anywhere but there, I need to remember that I am lucy.

3. Health. Like, whoa. So many people have health issues and are sickly. To be able to get up everyday and go to class and not have to take medicine or stay in the hospital is great. And people don't always realize that.

That is just a few things that people don't always take time to think about or be greatful for.

Kevin Smith "Simple Pleasures", being thankful.

Simple Pleasures.

The other day I was studying with a friend and she commented, while she was eating saltine crackers, how they are so tasty and for her they're simple pleasures. I don't particularly like them, but hey to each his (or her) own, right?? So I began to think about what are simple pleasures that I personally really enjoy. So I'm just going to gather a list of some on here and share them with you all. All of these have been gathered over a few days time.

1.) Walking on lush green grass. Have you ever realized amazing it is and how great it feels? Not every place around the world has grass like your front yard, so don't take it for granted.

2.) Taking a warm shower. It is so good! And you get clean while doing it.

3.) Seeing sunshine pour through the leaves of a tree. It's beautiful, and sadly I don't appreciate it as much as I should.

4.) The feeling of walking into an air conditioned house to escape the heat of day. Brilliant.

5.) Making a Friend laugh. And laughing with them

A few of these things like air conditioning and showers aren't possible in some places of the world. I just want to recognize these simple pleasures and persistently remind myself that I have been blessed by God. Every single good and pleseant thing i've experienced in my life is because of Him.
Psalm 34:8

"Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him."

Laura Hancock - In response to "Kylie Woodrum 'Labyrinth' "

I agree with what Kylie said about the prayer walk not having much of an impact. Most of the people were just trying to rush through, and weren't taking it seriously. The idea of a prayer walk is wonderful though. For me, a spritual experience like that is something I need to be alone for. I can't make deep thought and reflection just come to me, it takes time. And I feel like, and I would think many people would agree, that inner reflection can be influenced by people around you; personal reflection is just that, personal.

Kevin Smith "CNU a sacred place?"

I'm not sure if our school could be considered a sacred place BUT I love the contrasts between the atmospheres of night and day. A lot recently I have been staying late at the library doing work for school. When I finally leave the library in the wee hours of the morning, I love the calm of night. I am in awe of the big black sky dotted with the specs of sparkling stars. I love the contrast from day when there are students and teachers and tour groups roaming around, because at night there is usually no one else. Just me and God. In the bible it says that God is with you!

Zephaniah 3:17: "The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing".

When I've been walking back home these past few nights I just talk with God. He's there and here's my thoughts. And the peace and stillness of night helps me center myself and find Him.

Kevin Smith "Clingman's Dome, TN"

While in Tennessee this past summer, 3 friends and I all happened to have the same sunday off of work so we decided to take a drive into the Smokey's (only about 20 minutes away-we lived in Pigeon Forge) and hike up to Clingman's Dome. After a winding drive up a mountain road we hiked up about 5 miles to the top where there is a sort of tower that you can climb and see a huge portion of the mountain range. It is amazing! I think it is a fairly common tourist site because a good deal of people were there that day. It was the 4th of July though! After that my friends and I hopped onto the Appalachian Trail for a bit. On the way up to Clingman's dome there were several points where you could enter a trail and go onto the AT. We hiked out for about 4 miles and came back. It was a great time for exercise and viewing the beautiful scenery of the Smokey Mountains. I really believe that portion of a few hours on the AT to have been a very reflective and almost religious experience. It is most definitely a sacred place. Though my friends were with me we were silent a lot of the time and I just thought to myself and reflected on God's beauty and His creation. I think my love for the outdoors grew a lot that day. Being from Virginia Beach I've always considered myself a beach kid, but my love for mountains is increasing.

Kevin Smith "The Great Divorce concept"

The Great Divorce is a book written by Clive Staples Lewis, a prominent christian author. In the book there is a main character who joins a group of people. They are shuttled from a gray, obscure town in a flying bus, to a land that is supposed to be the foothills of heaven. The foothills are a much brighter environment than they are used to. When they get there they all realize that they can't walk on grass and it is actually quite spiky and it hurts their feet. While there they realize they are actually all ghost. They then encounter angels who are friends from their past lives. The book is the main character following each ghost individual and their interactions with their angel friends. The angels actually try to convince the grumpy ghost people to follow them on towards "heaven", but almost every ghost is reluctant and hesitant and scared. It's such an interesting book and I recommend it for anyone. What's interesting is that the ghost could not literally enter heaven without help from the angels. They also couldn't really walk on the grass. Every single part of the environment is hard to them. It's kind of like how we talked about in class how a person may enter a place, but not completely experience it and take it in.

Kevin Smith "The Mountain"

http://vimeo.com/22439234

I watched this amazing video the morning of Easter. I know that not everyone believes in Jesus or God or whatever, but when I watched this video I was blown away. It shows the wonders of our planet and world. There are video clips of the night sky in transition, stars aglow. There are also video clips of mountains, streams and others examples of nature. I personally just refuse to believe that every single thing in this world just happened to be. How is that possible? That by chance all of these marvelous and indescribable wonders are just there. I believe in intelligent design and a loving creator. I challenge those who haven't really thought about where you come from to just think for a second about the beauty of this world, and to step back from the hustle and bustle of every day life and wonder.

Kevin Smith "Communitas" in Tennessee

I really experienced Lane's definition of Communitas last Summer. During those three exceptionally hot months in 2010 I participated in a program called Discipleship Focus that is associated with YoungLife. I lived in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and worked at a theme park called Dollywood. I resided close to the park in a group of cabins where the program was located. There were leaders there and also the people that participated in the program numbered about 60 guys and girls who were younglife leaders from across the country, most of us college students. Some states where people came from were Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Washington, Louisiana, Oregon and others. We were grouped into cabins randomly and also small groups. We were all apart of the same bible study and learned the same material. I experienced Communitas in the sense that I didn't know anyone, save for one girl, but by the end of the program I had made some of the best friendships of my entire life. How could this happen? Communitas. People who don't know each other and are thrown into certain foreign circumstances or environments have no choice but to cling together and we only had one thing in common: a love for Jesus. It was an amazing experience and I recommend it for anyone who is a christian.!

dfocus.org

Kevin Smith "Live Forever"

I saw Sarah Price already made an entry about this but I had to comment on it as as well because it was something so powerful. My friend and fellow Young Life leader Taylor Quinn is a student at CNU. Recently he recorded a video about something called hand testimonies. He asked whoever wanted to participate in the video to write two things on their hand with a dry erase marker. One, what you were like before you started a relationship with Christ and you would lift your hand and show it to the camera. Then, wipe that off your hand and write on your hand how you are now that you know Christ and have a relationship with him and then do the same thing. It's kind of an example of Liminality and how we move from one stage of our lives to another. Each hand testimony gives you a glimpse of what a person was and is going through in their personal lives.

Even Professor Redick was in the video!!

Here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBZmmuUYoWs

Kylie Woodrum "Jesus: The Evidence"

While working on my research paper about the importance of sacred sites to both Christians and Muslims I came across the book "Jesus: The Evidence" by Ian Wilson. The book discussed several pieces of evidence of Jesus' existence. I found it interesting and compelling to read some of the evidence because it was things I had never even heard about before. Wilson made his book credible by noting objections to his points and by providing logical evidence that could also prove his points invalid. I found it refreshing to read a book that was committed to defending the Christian faith and the fact that Jesus was real.

Kylie Woodrum "In the Absence of God"

"In the Absence of God" by Sam Keen tries to answer some tough questions that people often wonder about religion. Keen discusses the ideas and the ritual habits that people have formed to build their faith. Keen tries to express to readers that it is important to cherish the presence of the sacred in everyday life. He explains that by dwelling on our primal emotions we can renew our faith and the feeling of being in the presence of God.

Kylie Woodrum "Be Still My Heart"

In Jo James' book "Be Still My Heart," the main character is going through several transformations in her life. Her journey takes several unexpected turns and she must figure out a way to cope with her unexpected situations. To face her struggles, she maintains her faith and keeps true to her principles of life. Annie's journey is inspiring because she continues to push through her struggles despite her fear and worries. Annie is in a liminal state through most of the book. She is in the middle of several transitions in her life and must learn to deal with each one as it comes along until she reaches the end of her journey.

Kylie Woodrum "Pilgrimage as a Liminoid Phenomenon"

In class, we referred to pilgrimages as a liminoid phenomenon. Pilgrimages serve as a release from the mundane structure of everyday life. They promote a sense of communitas and often serve as a time for healing and renewal of the spirit. While on a pilgrimage people are often in a liminal state because they are in the middle of a rite of passage. They are not at the place in which they started, but they also aren't where they want/need to be to be satisfied or to feel complete. I often feel like I am in a liminal state. I am no longer where I started, but I haven't reached the state I am working towards in my life.

Kylie Woodrum "Labyrinth"

The exercise of walking the labyrinth did not seem to make an impact on me. People did not take the exercise seriously and were just trying to rush through making it crowded and difficult to navigate. However, I think I would enjoy going to a real labyrinth and having the experience of making a "prayer walk". I set aside quiet time everyday to dedicate to my deep prayers and reading the Bible. I try to focus on strengthening my relationship with God and I believe that a prayer walk would help me to focus my energies and direct my focus.

Kylie Woodrum "Lion King"

The video we watched on Lion King's hike on the Appalachian Trail had a profound impact on me. I found it inspiring to see all the different people who were hiking the trail and hear their various reasons for doing so. I found myself sympathizing with the people and with Lion King as he encountered difficulties on his hike. It was amazing to see how much determination it takes to finish the entire trail and the various emotions it brings people when they reach the end. Watching the video made me want to try to hike the trail, which is something I never would have wanted to do before.

Kylie Woodrum "Cold Fever"

The movie "Cold Fever" made me think about a lot in my life. At first I didn't get the point of the movie and I just thought it was really weird. As we continued to watch it I realized the importance and the relevance it had towards my life. The Japanese salesman was just trying to finish his journey as fast as he could so he could get back to his life. What he didn't realize was that the journey would impact his life forever. So many times I catch myself rushing through life, eager to get to the next milestone or event. By rushing through life I'm missing out on the beauty of the world around me just like the salesman was missing the wonders of the landscape in Iceland. If I just choose to slow down and enjoy the things that are happening now, I will most likely experience some life-changing occurrence that I wouldn't have even noticed before.

Eric Shulman on the "In Class" Song by Lewis

The song we listened to in class by Lewis displays a connection between identity and place and how the place plays a part in relation to the individuals' identity. Some characteristics of the song are as follows:

- the essence of who I am is this place; you can't take me away
- grandfather's tools are apart of her body
- the singer needed to be grounded in her "place"
- there was a big impact on her because she has looked after this "place" for so long
- she has obligations beyond this certain "place"
- tone of music: sad, religious music (funeral music), death is present

Emily Madeline-outside reading 1

For my paper, I wrote about communitas/liminality and the healing and growth that is found on the AT. For some of my research I read another book by Turner. His books are very interesting. He came up with the idea of communitas, to come up with such an idea is crazy. It seems like such a random idea to come up with yet it is brillant. And yet its taken off and is applied to almost all pilgrimages.

Victoria Hinz "Benton MacKaye"

Benton MacKaye had the original for the Appalachian Trail. I wrote my paper on the trail and found it very interesting. He wanted to make a trail that would connect communities. He wanted to make a place where people could go to escape from the urban lifestyle. And while his exact idea did not happen during his lifetime, it is obvious that people are hiking the AT to get away from something. They are hiking the trail to get closer to nature and God, and I think that will be perfectly fine with Benton MacKaye.

Victoria Hinz "Topos and Chora"

Topos is a location of a place. Chora is an energizing force. At first I was I was a little confused by this subject, but as I kept reading and the example with McDonald's cleared it up. McDonalds is a place, so it is topos. When something exciting happens at McDonalds, like a proposal or some other sort of exciting event, that makes it chora. To one person a place could just be topos but it could be chora to another person. It all depends on what experiences people have been through. Obviously, McDonald's is just a normal fast food place for most people so it will mostly be topos. I do not ever think that a McDonalds will have chora for me, but I'm sure that some places have chora for me and its just topos for others.

Kylie Woodrum "Rites of Passage"

Turner explains the term rites of passage by describing the phases that people go through when they are experiencing a rite of passage. The first stage is separation in which the individual is symbolically separated from the group. The second stage is limen or margin in which the individual is between dimensions and is in a liminal state where they are uncertain if they will make it to the other side. The third stage is aggregation in which the individual makes it to the other side and returns to their normal routines of life. People go through rites of passages everyday. Some experiences are more symbolic than others, but each rite of passage is important because it represents the growth of the individual. People who are going through rites of passages think of what is to come in the future once they have reached the other side. I see it as a dreamland where they imagine how their lives will turn out once they have succeeded.

Kylie Woodrum "Communitas"

Lane's description of communitas really interested me. Most people are only interested in their own gains and bettering themselves. They are willing to use other people to get whatever they need whenever they need it. However, in communitas, people don't see each other as objects to help them gain something. People are seen just as fellow individuals who are trying to get through the journey. With communitas, people are willing to help others and build a relationship. There is often a sense of reciprocity that motivates people to form bonds with others. I think that many individuals would benefit from learning the concept of communitas. People would be more pleasant to be around if they weren't thinking of their personal gain, but of how they could help others along the way.

Kylie Woodrum "Flow"

In "Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture," Turner describes the idea of flow. Flow is when someone is focused but not self-conscious of their mental state. I often experience flow when I'm studying. I immerse myself in the material and do not acknowledge the world around me. Often many hours pass and when I finally break free from my immersion I feel as if it has only been a few minutes. When I am in my flow state I experience high concentration and persistence to finish whatever I am doing. I usually do not become aware of my state until I have reached my goal of completion.

Kylie Woodrum "Chronos and Kairos"

Lane also explains a place using chronos and kairos to depict the time. Chronos is the repetitive actions and the duration of of the experience. Kairos is the unique, opportune moment. Chronos reminds me of daily life for most individuals. We go through our routines of school, work, and extracurricular activities without experiencing anything special. With kairos, each moment is unlike the previous. If we truly understood kairos we would not take any experience for granted because you can never have the same experience twice. Timing is important and appreciating the time we have in a place is just as important.

Kylie Woodrum "Topos and Chora"

Lane also mentions topos and chora as ways of identifying a place. Topos is the mere location of the place. The word is neutral and indifferent to the meaning of the place. Topos refers to the measurable and quantifiable variables of a place. Chora, on the other hand, refers to the energizing force that a place seems to give off. When people experience a place through chora they make an intimate connection with the place instead of just knowing the location. People often use rituals to turn their experience from topos to chora so they may understand the significance of the sacred place. I believe that people who are just living their lives day-to-day and hurrying through their routines are only experiencing topos, but those individuals who pause to enjoy life experience chora.

Kylie Woodrum "Lane's Axioms"

In "Landscapes of the Sacred," Lane introduces his four axioms which are philosophical approaches to understanding sacred places. The first axiom (sacred place is not chosen, it chooses) represents the idea that people do not choose which places they want to be sacred. They have to experience different places and only certain ones will seem meaningful to them. The second axiom (sacred place is ordinary place, ritually made extraordinary) means that any place can be thought of as sacred. If a person continually performs rituals somewhere then they will develop a connection with that place and it will be sacred to them. The third axiom (sacred place can be tred upon without being entered) explains the fact that not everyone experiences a sacred place. Even if a place is considered sacred if an individual does not have a sacred experience there, they will not have entered the sacred place. The fourth axiom (the impulse of sacred place is both centripetal and centrifugal, local and universal) means that sacred places can be important to individuals who are around them, but also to people who are not able to experience the place firsthand and they merely view the place as being sacred.

Kylie Woodrum "Beach View"

During the semester my friends and I took a weekend trip to Virginia Beach. My friends preferred to stay inside the hotel because of the frigid weather, but I enjoyed just sitting on the beach despite the cold breeze. Most people don't think of a beach as a sacred place, but I find a sense of peace whenever I'm sitting in the sand watching the waves crash against the shore. I can feel the presence and power of God as he looks down over all of his creation. I imagine how he envisioned his creations when he made the seas so they would meet the land creating a perfect getaway. Even as people were walking by me, I was lost in my own thoughts, numb to the happenings of the world around me.

Kylie Woodrum "Noland Trail"

The walk on the Noland Trail allowed me to enjoy nature as I had not been able to do for quite some time. With my busy schedule, I sometimes forget to just stop and enjoy the beauty of the world around me. Since I had not been on the trail before it interested me to find out about all the life that one could find simply by looking around and noticing the different plants and animals that were interacting along the trail. It was hard for me to concentrate while we were in a large group, but once we went our separate ways I was able to fully immerse myself in the nature around me. I noticed things that others probably did not see and I most likely did not see some of the things the others did. We all had different views and paid attention to different aspects of the trail. I was most intrigued by the bridge at the lake. The way the sun was beginning to set and how the leaves framed the lake made it seem surreal and picturesque. Since our walk I have been out to the trail several times and each time I notice something new, something different that I did not see before.

Victoria Hinz "The Mask"

Lane talks about the mask, which conceals and reveals God's glory. In the book, Lane talks about how Pablo Picasso was fascinated with tribal masks from Africa. This becomes relevant for me, because I am an art history major. It explains how Picasso he wanted to "find the mask that gave life, the mask that opened new possibilities in the very act of concealing the old. He wanted to invoke his viewers to "invest... with its iconic power- the lost power of the mask". He obsessed over it. He wanted to be able to reveal the mask. In class we mostly talked about how nature can reveal the mask. It was interesting reading another point of view on the subject.

Victoria Hinz "Habitat and habitus"

Habitat is a place of dwelling, well habitus is a ritualized way of dwelling. We make a habitat through habitus. If we were to enter into the wilderness, we would need food, water, and shelter to survive. Once we bring those things into the wilderness, it can no longer be considered wilderness. Things will not be wild anymore. Humans have so many different habitats. Why do we need to make more? Why do we try and make wilderness our habitat? Humans need to leave some areas of the world to the wilderness. We do not need to take over every land. Humans can pretty much dwell anywhere, but that does not mean that we need to.

Emily Madeline- I & Thou

We learned about I vs thou and how the two interact. I can't exist alone. It just doesn't work. That's true about everything in life. There are two relationships I can have; one with it and one with thou. Thou is "you". An I-thou relationship is described as either an encounter or experience. Many things in life are experiences. The experiences we have in life shape every other part of our life; from the way we approach other situations to how we react to things.

Andrea Rowley - CNU and the Four Axioms

I find it incredibly and surprisingly easy to relate my college experience thus far to Lane's four axioms. Sure, I chose to come to Christopher Newport University, but I do not know if I ever thought my time at CNU would be like it has been. I first entered CNU in January 2008, the winter after I graduated high school, and since then, I have had many ups and with them, many lows. As the semesters have ended, my experiences at CNU have gotten better and better. Being a prominent part in the Campus Activities Board is responsible for such a betterment in my experiences. These experiences and the people I have met here have transformed this ordinary place into an extraordinary one. It is strange to think that the school I arrived at three years ago is the same one I am at now, considering how it feels like a whole new world (and not in the physical sense).

Victoria Hinz "Flow"

Flow is the loss of ego, being in the zone, having heightened senses, and being fully immersed in your activities. I have experienced flow in sports. In high school, I was on the school swim team. I swam competitively beginning in fourth grade. At the age of 9, I didn't experience flow. I was easily distracted by the cheering and would always look to the lane next to me to see if I was in the lead. In high school things changed, and I got more serious about swimming. I would experience flow during meets. I was not long distracted my cheering, and if friends would ask if I heard them yelling, I would have to say no. I wouldn't look to the other lanes to see where I was in relation to others. I was in the zone. I wasn't thinking about anything, I was just swimming. Flow took over.

Eric Shulman on the Otter Pond Trail

A place that comes to memory of my childhood days is the Otter Pond Trail. It is a trail that circumnavigates my entire development in which I live. As a child, I would go out with my dad and sister and ride our bikes along the trail. The trail gave us some trouble as we had to pedal over branches sticking up from the ground and take our bikes and walk them over long bridges. It was usually a Sunday ritual for my family as we would pack snacks and drinks to sit on the rocks at the lake when we finished our journey. Ah, those days bring back the best memories. Sometimes after going through the ten mile trail, we would peal off into a random neighborhood and explore the unfinished houses that were being built. We would write our names in the sand of the little ponds that the trail came with. It was a weekly adventure that I will never forget

Victoria Hinz "Liminality"

We are all in a liminal state right now, whether we are aware of it or not. College students are at in in between stage. We are no longer children living at home having our parents take care of us. But we are not out on our own and not yet supporting ourselves completely. I work and go to school, but my job does not pay for my rent, insurance, tuition, or all my other expenses. If I did not have my parents support I would not be able to survive. We have a completely different social structure than the outside world. Some students are able to support themselves and be dependent, but they are still part of this liminal world. They are still apart of this liminality. They still are at an in between stage.

Eric Shulman on "Chora" Through the Use of the Nolan Trail

According to Lane, chora is “a term suggesting that certain sites carry their own vitality and presence. This involves a more personal, almost mystical understanding of a place as inviting those within to a choreographed dance of gathered meaning”. Lane is praising certain places where individuals feel a sense of spirituality and meaning carry their own existence among their surroundings and nature. In order for a place to be called a chora, individuals need to experience that place in an extraordinary way, meaning that place invites individuals in to dance with it. In my experience at the Nolan Trail, Lane’s theory of chora is correct. To me, all of the living things present within the Nolan Trail spoke to me in some sort of way. The trees, with the spring leaves growing on them, looked as though they felt a sense of happiness from the colorful leaves growing on the branches. Going across the Lion’s Bridge, I could hear the water flicker. This “flickering” noise the water made was evidence of happiness inside the water.

Victoria Hinz "Cold Fever"

The movie, Cold Fever, got me thinking about what is truly important in live. Live isn't about who can get the farthest up the work totem pole. In the movie, the main character, has to give up a work trip to Hawaii to do a ritual for his parents. His parents died in a car accident in Iceland multiple years ago and he never went to perform the ritual. His grandfather finally convinced him to go. He was bitter about doing it the majority of the time his was there, but then towards the end his thoughts had changed. At the end of the movie the main character was a completely new person. He no longer cares about as much about work and his more focused on this family and rituals. After watching this movie and writing the paper, I realized that I was focusing on some of the wrong parts of life. My grandmother is getting married this summer and all I could think about before was what dress I would be wearing and what part I would be given. Later I realized that I needed to focus more on the actual wedding ceremony and that a new person would be added into my family. Now, I don't care about as much about what I'm wearing. I am more excited about the wedding itself, and getting to spend time with family members I don't get to see that often.

Eric Shulman on How to Create Your Own Sacred Space

In my final outside reading, I will endure upon creating your own sacred space and what it has to offer. If you have your own personal sacred space for meditation, prayer, or whatever it might be, your spirituality will become more positive by the day. Having a sacred place in your home is beneficial because if you use that place to your advantage frequently, then your mind and body will be more prone to be in a relaxed state. According to Bob Crawford, “A sacred space is a great way to keep your attention focused on your spiritual self throughout your day. Each time you pass by your sacred space you’ll be reminded of your intentions. Just walking by your “space” will reinforce whatever thoughts, feelings, or actions you experience, or intend to experience there” (Crawford). I like this quote by Bob because I can relate well to it when I’m back home during the summer in Richmond. A quiet place where I go to collect my thoughts is at my country club’s lake. Fully surrounded by the 9th and 18th holes of our golf course, it’s a quiet area with benches and mini tents to focus on what I need to. If I’m struggling or having problems whether it’d be with work or family, it’s where I like to get away to find my inner self.

Eric Shulman on Walking the Appalachian Trail?

Throughout the semester, Dr. Redick has shown the class stories, journals, sites and pictures of the Appalachian Trail. People come back different people with different mindsets after having done the trail. People who are having trouble, whether it’d be with school, work, sports etc can get away by spending time on the Appalachian Trail. Is this something that I NEED to do? Sometimes an individual needs to reflect and have a period of time to themselves to experience and enjoy the outdoors and what the Appalachian Trail has to offer. Other than just the nature, the trail offers people the opportunity to meet and greet different kinds of people and share his/her stories. Two of my tennis teammates will be experiencing the trail this coming summer for two weeks. After seeing pictures and hearing what the trail has to offer individuals, I will not need to ask them about it because I already know this is something I want to do for myself come next summer. Everyone comes back a better person will the experience of a lifetime.

Eric Shulman on the Extinction of Deep Thinking and Sacred Space

As my second outside reading source, I thought to look into how our “sacred space” is becoming extinct through the use of many digital materials. In the digital era we live in, individuals are losing hold of the few sacred spaces. The term, “creative pause”, means being completely isolated without interruption, and your mind is able wander about and think about key questions. According to Scott Belsky, “creative pause” is a, “State described as the shift from being fully engaged in a creative activity to being passively engaged, or the shift to being disengaged altogether. This phenomenon is the seed of the break-through a-ha!” (Belsky). There’s much power for sacred spaces, however, they’re becoming extinct fairly quickly. Individuals are depriving themselves of every opportunity, and our imaginations suffer from this. The question is, why do we give up our sacred space so easily? Belsky also states that space is “scary”. To escape self-doubt and unanswered questions, individuals must be aware of their activity throughout the day for reassurance. So, how can we reclaim our sacred spaces? Five potential solutions are:

1. Rituals for unplugging
2. Daily doses of deep thinking
3. Meditation and naps to clear the mind
4. Self-awareness and psychological investment
5. Protect the state of no-intent

Sarah Price "All Moments"

“This moment contains all moments,” said C.S. Lewis in his book “The Great Divorce.” It is about being in a tight spot, a “corner,” and needing to make a decision and remembering that you carry around your entire life with you all the time. You have arrived at this place and you need to make a decision based on where you have come from and where you want to go from there. It also about a culmination of all the decisions you have made to arrive where you are at that very moment. This is a quote that I will think about at my college graduation as I reflect on all the enjoyment and hardship that came with my college career. I’ll think about it as I walk down the aisle to be married and I’m about to spend the rest of my life with the man at the other end. Even at my death, I will think about this. I carry my life with me always. Every big decision I make is based on my experience up to that moment. I think this is a beautiful quote to reflect upon.

Sarah Price "I and Thou Relationships"

Martin Buber talks about “three spheres in which the world of relation is built,” on page 149 of I and Thou. “The first: life with nature, where the relation sticks to the threshold of language. The second: life with men, where it enters language. The third: life with spiritual beings, where it lacks but creates language.”
This really emulates how we go about life. First, we enter this world as babies – we don’t understand language and we are getting acclimated to this planet that we have just been introduced to by seeing, smelling, tasting, touching, and hearing. We have relationships with our families, but it is a relationship of mere dependence. We don’t really understand much at all, but we are taking it all in.
Then when we introduce language, reciprocity in relationship is cultivated. We can learn and understand more about the world and the people in our lives. We begin to benefit the lives of others because we can use our language and understanding to empathize with people.
Some people stop there, but others will search deeper for understanding. We understand the world at a surface level, but the religious dimension of mankind is longing to understand at a deeper level. God doesn’t necessarily use language in His relationships with His creation. He creates His own inner language through overwhelming grace and peace that it more real than any language that we could orally understand.

Eric Shulman on New Mexico's Sacred Places

As my first outside reading choice, I decided to search about what our first essay assignment was on. To recap, we had to choose a specific sacred place and research and write about. I chose to write on Stonehenge, which happened to have many sourceful information on why that place is considered sacred today. Today, I had found an article regarding New Mexico’s sacred places. For many of years, New Mexico was the place where many people fought to make it their own home. People who settled there were Native American, Spanish and Mexican people. They felt a connection to this land, and it was of great significance to them. To separate these groups of people, the Native Americans designated spiritual lands as different from the Spanish and Mexican. Places in nature such as caves and mountain and rock formations are designated as sacred to Native Americans. The Native Americans believe that these certain places have “sacred powers”. The Spanish and Mexican cultures have also designated certain areas in New Mexico as having spiritual and historical significance. Today, there are many examples of what are still considered sacred places in New Mexico such as El Morro National Monument, Rocks with Wings and Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs. The sacred place that jumped out to me was the Chaco Canyon. This place is the ruins of the Anasazi people. These people are the oldest pueblo and the present day pueblos are all said to be descendents of the Anasazi. The place is spectacular. You can spend a day or more at the Chaco Canyon and take in a unique experience of an entire society that lived their lives communing and respecting in nature. The Fajada Butte is a 300 foot tall group of rocks that stand upright. Most exciting, in my opinion, is that at Chaco Canyon you can see petroglyphs that depict cosmic occurrences such as Haley’s Comet and a Supernova explosion.

Sarah Price "Dorm Life as Habitus"

If my dorm room is my habitat, then the way that I live in my dorm is habitus. The community that lives in my building has created its own culture, in a way. There are certain group that have formed, certain places that we go to hang out, different places we go to study. There is a certain way to live and behave in a dormitory that doesn’t occur anywhere else and doesn’t happen at any other time in our lives. We leave our doors open, people are always around to talk to, someone is always making food, someone is always napping, someone is always having a late night heart-to-heart, someone is always in the study room, someone is always playing acoustic guitar, someone is always making out with their boyfriend, someone is always playing Call of Duty, etc. It started as a communitas, which turned into a community, and has become this habitus that is so unique to college. Dorm life is something that can only happen at a certain time in our lives, and I am so thankful for it! Some people had a hard time adjusting to it, but soon it became this ritualized way of dwelling together that I will always look back on with good memories.

Sarah Price "All Creatures"

Creation sent to me the centipede
to witness the complexity
of one hundred legs that were moving unexpectedly
ironically
just as they were meant to be,
they’re fearfully and wonderfully made;
An organism praised in circadian rhythms:
the sun will rise and then the sun will set, and then the sun will rise again,
so lift up your head!

This is the beginning of a song called “All Creatures” by Josh Garrels. It is so SO cool to see God’s creation in this way. We often look at the mountains, oceans, galaxies, and other big objects that show God’s glory and grandeur. But we often neglect the small details that show His power. God didn’t just create mountains, but also complex organisms like the centipede. Each displays His glory and attention to detail. Each have purpose and are crucial members of this planet that He made. We ought to recognize these next time we not only look at grand landscapes, but also when we look at small individual blades of grass and bugs!

Sarah Price "Your Love is Strong"

My friend, Taylor Quinn, made a video of a bunch of us here at CNU. Here's the concept: first, you write on your hand a word or a phrase that described your life before you knew the Lord. Then, you erase it and write how you view yourself, your renewed life in Christ. I know this isn't really a blog post, but it says more about the power of Christ than I could express here on this blog. It is amazing to see my friends and fellow students impacted so greatly by God's grace.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBZmmuUYoWs&feature=feedlik

My testimony in this video is "FAKE" and then "REAL!"

Before I really gave my life to Jesus, I pretended to be this perfect person. I had the perfect friends, perfect boyfriend, perfect family, perfect life... All on the outside. Inside, my heart was aching to be real. I wanted someone to know who I truly was: this facade with a broken, sinful, and dirty heart. When I finally cried out to the Lord, He said that He knew me better than I knew myself and loves me. He cleaned me on the inside which showed on the outside. I am so not perfect, but Christ's love covers me and I'm not afraid of being wrong or messing up. I'm living under God's unchanging grace. I don't have to pretend any more! God made me exactly who I am and wants me to be the beautiful woman that He made me to be! Woohoo! Thank you, Lord!!!

Ps- Props to KIP REDICK for being in this video, too! So glad you are my brother in Christ!!!

Sarah Price "Kairos"

“…time as kairos is an unrepeatable moment when events of great significance come to be gathered in the life of an individual or a people. To experience oneself simultaneously in a situation of chora [time as the repetitive ticking of the clock] and a moment of kairos is truly to encounter wonder,” (Lane, 41). The idea of kairos and chora coming together is so cool. It makes me think of the Bob Dylan concert I went to when I was fifteen. My brother, my best friend, and I were on the field of this baseball stadium in Maryland witnessing the legendary Bob Dylan. Hippies and the potent stench of marijuana surrounded us. It was an experience unlike any other. Just as he began playing “All Along the Watchtower,” it began pouring down rain. I looked around me and felt an overwhelming connection to all the people there, Mr. Dylan included. We were all experiencing this magic moment together that would never be repeated.

Eric Shulman on Turner's Title and What Else Could be Included?

My role as a non-Christian does NOT, I repeat, does NOT play any negative aspects on my feelings of this class. This class has shown me so much about ritual, about looking deep inside your self to feel a sense of reflection and about the “laws and ways” of the wilderness and environment. However, Turner’s title of his work is “Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture.” As apart of a religious studies class this semester, we’ve learned about Islam, Hinduism and Judaism along with Christianity. But what about these religions in relation to image and pilgrimage? Everyone is diverse. What do Jews feel about pilgrimage and how do they view it? What about Islams and Hindus? I’m sure there’s stories out there of the pilgrimage of these cultures, but we need to be diverse in order to learn about the different ways/views.

Eric Shulman on the Nolan Trail

A few days ago, I had the opportunity of getting to experience the Nolan Trail with my classmates during a classroom session. The trail always brings in a place of freedom, a place of positive energy and a place of relaxation to me. The trail always exhibits interesting and unique features that enlighten me every time I set foot on the passage. I believe the most unique trait of the Nolan Trail is its landscape and surrounding area. Some of the views around the trail are magnificent, especially the Lion’s Bridge. In my essay assignment for the Nolan Trail, I elaborated on how the Lion’s Bridge was an example of the I/IT relationship from Martin Buber. It was an I/IT relationship particularly to me because the Lion’s Bridge would be a great afternoon getaway and romantic time. To someone, the Nolan Trail could be described as that sacred place. For many students here at CNU, stress can fulfill their bodies in an instant possibly due to classes, athletics, parents, etc. The Nolan Trail is a great example of freedom, relaxtion and positive feelings to create for a better environment for any individual.