Crazy Rites of Passage

Hey so I decided to post a post this week for Kicks and giggles, mainly hoping to get a response from my Final paper presentation:

Of all the rites of passages I presented on, I was curious, which one seems the most ridiculous to you? If you had to pick one, which would you like to go through? And also, once you've really understood the purpose of reach ridiculous act, does the rite still seem as crazy? or Does it make more sense?

I've added the link below to Google Docs for those of you who would like to read my essay so you can be refreshed on each of the rites.

Thanks!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1o-ABm1n1F9llrE0x11chlmTJm2esrc59pDlUSvFMFxA/edit

Wrap Up

Hi, everyone!

To wrap up the class for our final blog week, I'd like to ask you about the class as a whole. What did you learn/gain from this course? What text or film did you like best/least? What did you like best overall? Least? Would you change anything about this class?

Have at it! :)

Comment to Bend It Like Beckham

So I kept trying to reply but it wasn't letting me pick my profile to comment, I tried doing it like six times and it still wouldn't work so here's my comment:
I think almost everyone sacrifices something that makes them different from everyone else to fit in with society. I think depending on others can be beneficial to our coming of age so long as they are a good influence, otherwise they can be detrimental. I think there is a difference between coming of age as a member of society and coming of age as an individual because everyone has their moments where they came of age in their own way that nobody else may recognize and there are other moment where someone comes of age and it is recognized by others.

Bend it Like Beckham

In class we discussed how there's frequently a sacrifice involved in the balance between individuality and culture. Is this necessarily about culture, or do you there is a sacrifice in individuality and being a part of society? Is the large scale of our society and our dependence on others beneficial or detrimental to our coming of age? Is there a difference between coming of age as a member of society and coming of age as an individual?

Rites of Passage During a Lifetime

So far we've been shown many characters and people who've undergone various rites of passages. We've all gone through are own rites of passages as well. It's something thats been happening and will continue to happen forever. So my question are: What is your vision of a truly enlightened person? Is it possible for you to reach this final, enlightened (Super Saiyan like) form? If not, does that trivialize all the changes that we've gone through in our lifetimes or does it make each transition even more important? Is there any fictional character or person that we've learned about in class that you feel is a true, Super Saiyan beast?

For those who didn't watch Dragon Ball Z.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odRFaz4HblQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqEqgEXHYkM&feature=related

^ That's what I think happens.

Natural Potential

We've mentioned before that intelligence could help or hinder the coming of age process, and we tend to view intelligence as a natural ability.

Does everyone have the same level of inherent ability to "grow up" and come of age, or are some people naturally disposed to have less growth in this way? Does this correlate with any other potentials in growth such as intelligence or is coming of age a world of its own?

Coming of Age in a Negative Light?

Hi, all!

I'm not sure what's happened to Norma, but since she hasn't posted her topic, I'm going to put something up here so you can start discussing and get your posts in.

So, my question for you this week is whether or not you think coming of age can ever be a bad thing. Is there something to be said for never growing up? Are there drawbacks to moving from innocence to experience, ignorance to knowledge? What are some of them and have you personally experienced them? Is this movement toward coming of age worth it, though? Why or why not?

You don't have to answer every question...but you could break your responses up into two parts/posts if you want (and earn a point per post for those of you who need to get your participation in--hint, hint!).

To sacrifice is to be accepted?

I know it's not my week to post but I was watching Gangland (best show ever!) and came across this video. It's about gang initiations and, though it is short, it is most definitely powerful.

http://www.history.com/shows/gangland/videos/gang-initiation-riuals#gang-initiation-riuals

What do you guys think? What do you think about the idea that sacrificing yourself shows dedication, making you worthy of acceptance?

Glass Castle

In The Glass Castle, Jeannette's family is dysfunctional, like in the movies Stand by Me and Now and Then. How does the coming of age process differ from the movies and The Glass Castle? Do you think Jeannette's coming of age process was more significant than in the movies because it came from her family or is it just as equal? Does the book make you feel like your own coming of age moments aren't as significant because you didn't have to get over the hardships she had to face growing up? Do you think the mom had any coming of age moments during the book?
Sorry I posted it so late, I was thinking about it all this morning and then forgot, I'm a terrible student.

"You think too much."

So I figured I should mention something about Flowers too so I’m making another discussion topic. In Flowers for Algernon Charlie grew both intellectually and emotionally. But it seemed as though his intellectual growth hindered his emotional growth. Do you think it is the same for “normal” people? Does our intellect obstruct our emotions? Everyone’s heard people say, “you think too much,” I wouldn’t be surprised if that exact phrase has been uttered to each of you. The question is, can you think too much? Are there certain aspects of life or situations in which you should simply follow your heart (for lack of a better term)? When should we allow our instincts to take over for our logical minds? How do these situations play into one’s coming of age?

Ender's Game

Since we didn't have a blog last week I thought I'd bring back Ender's Game because it's my favorite book of all time (besides Harry Potter of course). In class the bulk of our discussion was focused on the morality of the bugger war and Graff's actions. I want this blog to be focused on Ender and the other young soldiers, like Bean, Petra, Dink, etc. So I have a few questions, who of the kids at Battle School/Commander School do you believe had a significant rite of passage/coming of age moment? Did they grow together as a team or was each an individual journey? In the real world, do you think children would be able to handle battle school, or is this book entirely unrealistic? Would children be able to handle boot camp, today's form of battle school?

P.S.

I would love to see some more back and forth between comments, maybe we can make this more of a discussion as oppose to just a collaboration of opinions.

Guess Who's horrible at remembering to post :)

I keep forgetting to post comments on the blog so I'm started a new topic. If you feel so inclined, post a story where you came of age in an educational setting. For example, Kathryn emailed me saying I had neglected to meet the requirements on this blog. That email instigated this chain reaction that eventually made me realize I had to get off my butt. And thus, I came of age... a little bit. So ya, if you ever went to the principal's office for karate chopping some kid in the jugular or something like that, post it!

Compare and Contrast

This week we talked about the assigned reading, Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult. There were many different rites of passages that were touched on so the question I have is how can you relate to them? Was there a specific rite of passage from any of the characters that you have experienced, is there anything similar between your rites of passage and there's? Or is the cultural barrier to big to be breached and there's no way to relate? This could pertain to any of the characters that you want to compare to yourself or even contrast if you have no comparisons.

Dysfunction's Role in a Rite of Passage

In class yesterday we noted that many of the Coming of Age stories we have read and watched are centered around familial conflict and dysfunction. Is this necessary for a coming of age? What does a coming of age look like when there is no dysfunction in the family? What other factors contribute to a coming of age?

"What do you mean, anime doesn't count?!"

Considering the number of genres we've looked at for stories of rites of passage, we have been staying fairly consistent in our conversations in that we identify the rite and attach it to ourselves. This isn't meant as a blanket statement, but I am wondering if the presentation of the story affects how you view the 'crossing over' theme of the story. For example, I find that the Oresteia did a better job of portraying a rite of passage than some of the short stories because it made Orestes's actions more cinematic or visible to me. Please consider whether the medium of a story affects whether or not it affects how the idea of a rite of passage is portrayed, or whether or not it is entirely dependent on the plot.

The End?

My immediate family (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins) all live in the Albuquerque area. We are a tight knit family. Last Friday was my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary. A couple weeks earlier we had a big celebration with all of our extended family coming into town for the weekend. My grandparents are like the center or rock of our family. When I think of them I think of a very high level of maturity. Marriage is a rite of passage in itself and 50 years together is a really long time together and something to be proud of. Of course there must have been ups and downs, but when I see them I see two people who are very wise and mature. They are also as happy as can be. So I guess my question to you is How does a lifetime of different rites of passage affect a person? Or in other words Do we ever really reach a point in time where we can classify ourselves as completely mature? Do we stop maturing at a certain age?

Clarifying "Rite of Passage"

So far we have touched upon both the coming of age through ceremony, as well as it being a natural process that comes with a loss of innocence as we grow. The short stories we read seemed to have some interesting parallels in a couple of stories where the characters were preparing for a ceremony while going through their own, more personal Rite of passage at the same time (Sam and his Bar Mitzvah; Yvette and her First Communion), but there was a noticeable lack of emphasis on the importance such events held in the characters' lives. The stories seemed to be brought together through a common theme: innocence.

So, my question is: what do you believe the "true" Rite of Passage is? Is it something that you are trained for like a Confirmation or Bar Mitzvah, where you are raised learning about the significance of the event and what kind of person you will be after it? Or is it something more "natural"? Do you think life is just one big Rite of Passage, but there are defining moments that shape who you are?

Just write what you think, and if you are leaning towards the "natural" process, maybe explain the significance ceremonies have in our lives.

Oresteia Vs. Twelfth Night

Between Oresteia and Twelfth Night, compare and contrast the overall Rite of Passages. What are some similarities? What are major differences? And based on those works, what is each author's opinion of what a Rite of Passage is and what influences it?

Odd or Extreme Rites of Passage

I came across a video on youtube that showed a group of young men from the amazonian tribe, the Satere-Mawes, going through their rite of passage. You can find out more about it here:
http://www.otithelis.com/initiation/bullet.php
It consists of the young men putting both hands into a sort of glove, loaded with "bullet ants," whose stings cause intense pain (supposedly the worst sting in the world) that can last for more than 24 hours. This is definitely an extreme rite of passage. Certainly such extreme rites of passage don't occur in the more "civilized" cultures. Or... Maybe they do. If you've heard of something crazy people have done to be an adult in more urban areas, I want to find out more about it. Urban legends or not (the more obscure and personal the better actually) if any of you have heard of something similar to the bullet glove, share the story! Actually, even it's just something funny, post it anyway.

Groups

Hello, again,

Below are your groups for the group project:

Group One: Taylor B., Kaleigh, Brianna, Norma

Group Two: Alex, Gabe, Taylor G. Ricardo, Sage

Group Three: Kylie, Daniel, Kevin, Danyelle

Blog Posts Schedule

Hi, all!

Below is the schedule for our blog posts:

August 31: Me (Kathryn)
September 7: Taylor B. and Sage
September 14: Taylor G. and Kevin
September 21: Gabe and Daniel
September 28: Alex
October 5: Kaleigh
October 12: No Blog (Fall Break)
October 19: Kylie
October 26: Brianna
November 2: Norma
November 9: Ricardo
November 16: Danyelle
November 23: No Blog (Thanksgiving Break)
November 30: Me (Kathryn)

Welcome!

Welcome, class, to the Legacy of Rites of Passage Blog!

I hope that you all were able to set up your accounts without much problem. The topic for this week to get us started will be created by me. Since it's the first week of class, I just want us all to get to know one another a little better. So, why did you sign up for this class? What do you hope to get out of the class? After our first class and reading the syllabus and getting an idea what's in store for you, what are some things you're excited about? What are some things you want to learn more about? What are you dreading? :)

Finally, what are you hoping to get out the honors program in general? Why are you taking honors? What does honors mean to you?

Okay, let the games begin...