Scott's Video

Scott's video takes us through is post grad experiences as he chronicles his life abroad with the Piece Corps in Armenia. He also takes us into the process of researching organizations, such as Habitat for Humanity. He shows what then organization does, what their goal is, and shows how to find whether this is overall good and if it makes a difference; the pro's and con's. The main point of his video though was to show that even in our own community you can find sub-standard living conditions. He encourages everyone to go out and do something to try and make a difference, while showing you can complete this at home and abroad.

Scott stated that he always felt as if he had to go abroad to help. He lived for two years in Armenia, have some pleasurable and some difficult experiences. What he learned from that experience was that he had to listen to he community, and that there is never a right or wrong solution to something, just different. Upon coming back to the states he became aware of many new things that hadn't been apparent to him before. He thought about going abroad again helping with other organizations, but didn't find anything to his satisfaction. Just walking around Flagstaff he was able to find houses in disrepair. Even in Flagstaff, there is always help needed at food banks, homeless shelters and even humane societies and second chance shelters for animals. It doesn't matter where we are, there is always something to be done. What matters is if we do something or not.

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Plato and The Allegory of the Cave

The primary theme of Plato's Allegory of the Cave, is mankind's perception of reality. Plato was one of the founding theorists for the idea of the soul, the realm of ideas/forms and the philosophy of Neo-Platonism. Plato argued that the things we see and perceive are products of our experiences and understanding of what is presented to us. Whether or not what we see or experience is the truth, it is what we understand. This is what happens to those watching the shadows. The shadows are an image of something true, but is not truth itself. What he encourages his readers to do, is look beyond the world of nature (the wall with shadows), and towards the sources of perception (the realm of ideas and rationality). Once one is able to do that, they have the potential of going "outside" and seeing "the one," the real truth in the world. we might be blinded by the light at first, but if we allow ourselves the proper patience, we will see what is outside of our mind set and frames created by the cave. The hard part, after one realizes and learns some of the greater truth is convincing the others left in the cave, for they are content in their ignorance.

Fight Club is a film mentioned earlier in this course, but this time Edward Norton's character will be used with his views of reality and perception. His character, we find out later (spoiler alert!), is schizophrenic to a certain degree. His alter personality becomes his close companion, and through him he learns the basic elements of the human character and society. He has to put certain evidences into context though as he realizes his own new world and life that has revealed so much to him has falsities in itself. He has to conquer his alter personality, and becomes enlightened on another level than what he had started out as. Like the allegory of the cave, Norton broke away from the chains and started learning the elements that were making the shadows in his culture. he realized that there was more than just this though, stepped outside and figured out he was two people in one body.

the Boondock Saints

The 1999 action hit The Boondock Saints, is chock full of themes and undertones. Revolving around the story of two Irish brother's living in south Boston, they take it upon themselves as a calling from God to cleanse the city of the violist filth that corrupts and destroys the moral fabric of the world. They take on the local crime syndicates and eventually find alliances and moral support through the FBI and other mob underlings. Controversial in their means, they are met with both support and criticism. The theme of family also plays in when they meet their father. It is also acknowledged that their prayer is only for them and members of their family to say. So, main themes are family, religion, crime, trust, and culture.

Rhetoric in the Union

We chose to do a poster advertising for study abroad.

Author: the center for international education, located in Tinsley Hall.
Audience: students that are passing by or have been thinking about studying abroad themselves (I highly recommend).
Purpose: to capture your attention, help peak your interest and hopefully convince you to go visit them and get information on studying abroad.

Ethos: The C.I.E. has experience in helping students study abroad, and many of the employees have studied abroad themselves
Logos: the poster states that it can help benefit and enhance your life, and it also gives you all of the contact information.
Pathos: The emotion is captured in the girls face on the poster... it's a mixture of happiness and fear as she feeds the kangaroo.

Pathos on "An Indian Teacher among Indians"

Gertrude Simmons Bonnin (Zitkala-Sa in her native Sioux) was an involved member of the Native American community in the latter part of the 19th century into the 20th century. Her story, An Indian Teacher among Indians is her personal account and narrative of living in the white culture and Indian culture. Divided into four chapters, she discusses her job and issues with her mother. It is somewhat of an emotional testimony through her decisions and relations, and therefore lends to a helpful analysis of both Purpose and the Pathos.

The purpose of her story is to show the complexity of internal struggle that many Native American's experienced during the assimilation years between the 1860's and 1930's imposed on the Native Americans. The United States government thought that the best way to help the Native Americans survive and become incorporated into society was to teach them English, teach them how to be farmers and Christianize them. Zitkala-Sa makes this impression at the end of her story; "In this fashion many have passed idly through the Indian schools during the last decade, afterward to boast of their charity to the North American Indian. But few there are who have paused to question whether real or long-lasting death lies beneath this semblance of civilization." (p.259). This references the complexity of societal clashes, and the imposing life of the white culture. many families were broken up, and cultural identity was lost during this period. This is the death that she is mentioning.

"Mother, do not pray again! The Great Spirit does not care if we live or die! Let us not look for good or justice: then we shall not be disappointed!" (p. 257) Zitkala-Sa had visited her mother at one point to find more Indian recruits in the east. This quote, embodying the Pathos, is directed at her mother, an embittered woman who loathes the white man and the disillusions they brought. Zitkala-Sa, raised to be weary of the white man has found refuge though in their culture, and has been forced to compromise beliefs and thoughts from both her native culture and the American one. She is frustrated by both. "For white man's papers I had given up my faith in the Great Spirit. For these same papers I had forgotten the healing in trees and brooks. On account of my mother's simple view of life, and my lack of any, I gave her up, also." (p. 258)

About Me

I'm David, and I am currently a senior in my last semester at NAU. I am a German major, but was originally a history major. After a study abroad term to Germany last year I came back with so much German credit that it made sense to switch my major and minor. so that's where I am there..

I grew up in Prescott, AZ. I had an interest in music growing up and play piano, trombone, and a little guitar and bass. I primarily played Jazz and Classical, but I messed around in rock and ska as well. I like to dable around a bit. I like listening to pretty much any genre of music, but my favorite growing up was Punk and Indie, especially bands like NOFX, Bad Religion and Green Day. you could also find me listening to other forms of alternative and metal, but my list of favorite bands would go on for quite a while. Currently my more favorite bands have been the Faint, Modest Mouse and Muse. But yeah, I really like everything.

I have a dog named Gimley and a cat named Jazz who live with me and my brother. They are great and make life much more interesting and happy despite the hassles of school life. Gimley is a Leopard Cur, which is a mixed breed originating in the Appalachian region of the US and bred for tracking, herding, guarding and being a family dog. We adopted him from the Second Chance Shelter here in Flag as a little pup and have had him for almost 2 years now. Jazz is a tuxedo cat, hence his name, but he usually just goes by Kitty. He was adopted at a shelter in Tucson when I lived there.

I'm looking forward to graduating here in May and getting into the "real world" and finding a job with a salary. I'm hoping to get back to Germany and work there either teaching English or working for an embassy or something. In the long run, I'd like to get involved in diplomatic work... maybe even become an ambassador or something of the like.

So yeah, that's me in a nutshell.


The Faint - Agenda Suicide