Students should learn how to dance in the rain
Jason Takahashi
Issue date: 4/24/09 Section: Opinions/Editorial
I would like to take a moment to bask in some of the righteousness that went down on this campus over the past two weeks.
Things really got started at the reincarnation of Diva Night, an event I heard endless praise for when I was just a prospective student here five years ago. Shortly after, I was graced with the presence of an amazing group of musicians and individuals hailing from Athens, Ohio named Papadosio, who agreed to play a free show in conjunction with a presentation of my senior thesis work at Falstaff's which can now be viewed online.
A couple days later brought the joyous celebration on the green followed by the Tang Party and ultimately followed by a rainy, but precious Earth Day. And that night hosted a groovy dance party catalyzed by Skidmore's own Third Nature over on Circular St.
In more recent news, April 20 caused a hilarious ruckus in the Saratogian, while Davis Auditorium hosted a speaker who discussed the Grateful Dead, naturalistic philosophies, the effects of mind-altering substances and the importance of song and dance. And today, a couple of excellent fellows came and spoke their mind about a Minnesota state court's decision to try them under the 2002 Patriot Act with "conspiracy to riot in the furtherance of terrorism" charges following this past year's Republican National Convention.
Not to mention, some students taking the South East Asian Music course decided to apply web log software to their group project in place of a Powerpoint presentation (bauls.wordpress.com), illustrating the phenomenal efficiency of the Internet - not only as a dynamic resource pool, but also as a repository for quality software that can undoubtedly further the learning process.
Perhaps what is most exciting is I have slowly begun my move out of college, but not back home, to what will hopefully be a peripheral, yet perpetual home: the Internet.
Mozilla's new social web browser Flock, has essentially rented me an apartment and given me a rental car for my new home that is the Internet. With Flock I am geared into every major Web 2.0 service from Facebook to Wordpress to YouTube, effortlessly navigating the increasingly complex landscape.
This helps as I, like many, sense immense security as well as potential in the decentralized, value optimized, and Gaia-derived Internet - or at least more so than the cracked and crumbling hierarchical architecture of the 20th century. My work with Skidmore News in conjunction with YouTube video casts and Wordpress blogging has helped me develop tremendous skills in terms of communication with large audiences, leaving me pleasantly happy to be on my way out of the beautiful nest that is our school. Not to mention, the Student Opportunity Fund granted me financial assistance in publishing 18 copies of a rendition of my thesis project of which the proceeds will go back the EAC's community garden project.
If Defense Against the Dark Arts were to ever try to drive one point home, I think it would be something along the lines of: this life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, but rather learning how to dance in the rain.
Did I mention that some of that rain helped the trees bloom?
*If you never got a copy of the Defense Against the Dark Arts Syllabus for the 2008-2009 academic year, please mark on your calendars the DATDA class is absolutely adjourned for the rest of the semester. Once the spring comes into bloom, there is nothing left to teach. Ride whatever wave comes your way, and if you want to say hey just check out the reincarnation of DATDA at http://earthnight.wordpress.com.
Jason Takahashi is official Seeker of the Skidmore Quidditch team and keeper of the Room of Requirement at DATDA.wordpress.com
Things really got started at the reincarnation of Diva Night, an event I heard endless praise for when I was just a prospective student here five years ago. Shortly after, I was graced with the presence of an amazing group of musicians and individuals hailing from Athens, Ohio named Papadosio, who agreed to play a free show in conjunction with a presentation of my senior thesis work at Falstaff's which can now be viewed online.
A couple days later brought the joyous celebration on the green followed by the Tang Party and ultimately followed by a rainy, but precious Earth Day. And that night hosted a groovy dance party catalyzed by Skidmore's own Third Nature over on Circular St.
In more recent news, April 20 caused a hilarious ruckus in the Saratogian, while Davis Auditorium hosted a speaker who discussed the Grateful Dead, naturalistic philosophies, the effects of mind-altering substances and the importance of song and dance. And today, a couple of excellent fellows came and spoke their mind about a Minnesota state court's decision to try them under the 2002 Patriot Act with "conspiracy to riot in the furtherance of terrorism" charges following this past year's Republican National Convention.
Not to mention, some students taking the South East Asian Music course decided to apply web log software to their group project in place of a Powerpoint presentation (bauls.wordpress.com), illustrating the phenomenal efficiency of the Internet - not only as a dynamic resource pool, but also as a repository for quality software that can undoubtedly further the learning process.
Perhaps what is most exciting is I have slowly begun my move out of college, but not back home, to what will hopefully be a peripheral, yet perpetual home: the Internet.
Mozilla's new social web browser Flock, has essentially rented me an apartment and given me a rental car for my new home that is the Internet. With Flock I am geared into every major Web 2.0 service from Facebook to Wordpress to YouTube, effortlessly navigating the increasingly complex landscape.
This helps as I, like many, sense immense security as well as potential in the decentralized, value optimized, and Gaia-derived Internet - or at least more so than the cracked and crumbling hierarchical architecture of the 20th century. My work with Skidmore News in conjunction with YouTube video casts and Wordpress blogging has helped me develop tremendous skills in terms of communication with large audiences, leaving me pleasantly happy to be on my way out of the beautiful nest that is our school. Not to mention, the Student Opportunity Fund granted me financial assistance in publishing 18 copies of a rendition of my thesis project of which the proceeds will go back the EAC's community garden project.
If Defense Against the Dark Arts were to ever try to drive one point home, I think it would be something along the lines of: this life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, but rather learning how to dance in the rain.
Did I mention that some of that rain helped the trees bloom?
*If you never got a copy of the Defense Against the Dark Arts Syllabus for the 2008-2009 academic year, please mark on your calendars the DATDA class is absolutely adjourned for the rest of the semester. Once the spring comes into bloom, there is nothing left to teach. Ride whatever wave comes your way, and if you want to say hey just check out the reincarnation of DATDA at http://earthnight.wordpress.com.
Jason Takahashi is official Seeker of the Skidmore Quidditch team and keeper of the Room of Requirement at DATDA.wordpress.com
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