the pursuit of knowledge

Once you are out of the college realm for a while, you come to realize how much you miss learning new things. Yes, it's nice to not have midterms and finals and papers and the other academic stresses that go along with being a college student. But the core of the academic experience---the opportunity to learn about about a new subject ---is sorely missed once that opportunity is not as readily available as it is when you're a student. At least, that's what I have discovered. Luckily, I work on a university campus which means that I can still pretend to be in 'student mode'. This means taking advantage of having UCD library privileges and auditing classes. I would say that one of the main benefits of working on campus, behind the large amount of vacation and holiday time, is being surrounded by an intellectual environment. It has inspired me to expand my knowledge of the world.

And so, I am auditing another class this spring: History of Rock Music. I love it. The lecturer is a musician from the Bronx (with the strong accent to prove it) who has toured with Sting, Simon and Garfunkel, and Madonna and has played keyboards on numerous albums. He is definitely a character and it is enjoyable just to watch his crazy antics during class. I especially enjoy when he goes into one of his recording studio stories. I feel like my musical horizons are expanding and I am in the process of creating my own "School of Rock" CD library based on this class. It will include all the Beatles albums, and select albums from other influential artists of the 50's, 60's, 70's, and 80's such as Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and Stevie Wonder. If you'd like a mix, just let me know =)

In addition to auditing a class, I've also been trying to read more. I just finished a great book called "Freakonomics" by Steven Levitt, an economist at the University of Chicago. Basically, Levitt uses economics to explain things that seemingly have nothing to do with economics, like the secrets of the Ku Klux Klan or the structure of crack gangs. For someone like myself who was an econ. major (but is not using my major at all) it made me proud to see that Levitt is bringing economic principles to the masses in a book that is a surprisingly interesting read.

My point to this long rambling post? Never stop learning. Rent a documentary. Read a newspaper article (no, not something from PEOPLE...a real newspaper). Look up a previous President on Wikipedia and read about their administration. Join a book club. Go see a local play. Anything that involves stimulating your brain, the possibilities are endless. As educator Anthony J. D'Angelo says: " Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you'll never cease to grow."

finding refuge in chaos

"He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart."
~Psalm 91:4

In times of tragedy like this, it is heartening to know that Jesus grieves with us in our suffering. My prayers go out to the Virginia Tech campus and the families of the victims.

under the sea

Last night, I heard Robert Ballard speak at the Mondavi Center and it was definitely an educational experience. Ballard is a a famous oceanographer most known for his discovery of the remains of the Titanic in 1985. However, he didn't talk much about this famous expedition because he was really excited to share about the current work he is doing in the Black Sea.

First, some background: unlike other bodies of water, the bottom of the Black Sea has low levels of oxygen due to the fact that it is a basin where the deep waters do not mix with the upper layers of water that get oxygen from the atmosphere (thank you Wikipedia!) Therefore, Ballard had an ephiphany about ten years ago where he realized that he might be able to find ancient shipwrecks preserved at the bottom of the Black Sea, since the "ocean termites" that normally feed on wood debris can not survive due to the low levels of oxygen.

To make a long story short, Ballard and his crew have gone on three expeditions since 2000 into the depths of this sea and have found remains from ancient Roman ships. He described how the remotely operated vehicles used in these expeditions came upon the wooden mast of a ship (picture to the left) that went down sometime between the 3rd and the 5th century, PERFECTLY PRESERVED. They also found wine jugs scattered along the ancient trade route that is now the bottom of the sea. And here's the kicker, Dr. Ballard said the most surprising find was a dead dolphin. He said that this dolphin wasn't found decaying, but that it too was preserved so well that it looked like it was sleeping.

So what does this mean? Well, Dr. Ballard is scheduled to go on his next expedition in the Black Sea this August, and he believes that if any crew members went down with their ships, they might be lying on the bottom of the sea along with the other debris. And he believes that these corpses, just as with the dolphin, would also be preserved so well that they would appear to be only sleeping. Can you imagine if this discovery actually happens? Just the thought of discovering the bodies (not skeletons, BODIES) of people that died in shipwrecks 1500 years ago is outrageous...could it be possible?

Ballard also talked about the concept of "ocean museums", which is essentially the idea of using virtual technology to bring the public to the sites of the Titanic, the Black Sea, etc. I was touched by this man's passion for discovery and even more important, by his passion for bringing such discoveries to the masses. Click here to learn more about his work and how you can view his expedition in August through streaming video!

why?

This song chokes me up every time.




Happy Easter =)