Reflections
Reflection Four
I have had few major insights as a result of the hegemony unit thus far. The power of capitalism, its structure and the spectacle as taught by Andy served only to solidify or verify beliefs I already had. I was well aware of how the capitalist machine functioned before the class even discussed it. The spectacle was slightly obvious. The omnipresent nature of it however, proved to be subtle and evasive. Not unlike how it’s easy to see the theatre curtain, but difficult to find the intricate system of ropes which hold it in place. I was amazed by how the government manipulates and consumes the major facets of the media, recuperates the remains and uses it for its own ends.
One thing I’m not likely to forget from this quarter of the semester was seeing everyone in class a stuffed inside of a Starbuck’s coffee house. It was pretty amusing to walk in with the intent of spreading awareness of the capitalist system and witness two or three of our classmates support it by buying cups of coffee to deliberately our teacher. I also won’t forget the feeling of annoyance caused by being one of the unfortunate students forced into a corner by the mass of good little consumers flooding into the shop to get their fix and leave. There’s nothing like being shoved into a corner by three women on a caffeine craze.
I haven’t done anything particularly amazing in the last few days. Since the beginning of the unit however, my ability to tone down my speech patterns so that others understand what I’m saying has become greater than it was previously. I still leave everything to the last minute, but my newfound ability to “translate” my writing from English to “English” has allowed me to express myself in more meaningful ways, which as a result, shows growth of my communication skills.
My understanding of capitalism is without a doubt more impressive than other young adults that have not attended Andy’s humanities class. At the same time however, my limited mastery of the topic was built over years of discussion in several classes. I’ve mentioned capitalist ideals in casual conversations before and completely lost whomever I was speaking to. It’s very sad how little it seems people know about the systems they willingly adhere to.
If there’s any true revelation that I have had as a result of this class, it’s that people are ignorant. Everyone is ignorant to something. Some people prefer not to know things and willingly distance themselves from knowledge they’d prefer not to have, but are these people truly free of blame? In the capitalist system of the United States, many can’t even begin how to describe how their economy functions. This is willing ignorance.
There’s little I can say regarding the current semester that hasn’t already been said. I believe the students are lazy. They take advantage of the great opportunities given to them to decide for themselves what is important. What I will recommend though, is that when you teach this class next year Andy, that you deprive your future students of a democratic class room and instead, instate another structure which will enforce participation and getting the work done.
Reflection Five
The hegemony unit provided many insights. Many of the lessons Andy taught still stick with me. I’d say my most profound realization related to how architects and contracts have hegemonic objectives when creating structures. It was amazing to see how what appeared as a simple shoe store, was actually designed in such a way that those who came into the store saw the shoes, could sit down, while facing the shoes, circle around the selection, then feel obligated to leave because the room they were in was built so that they would do exactly that. This is opposed to sit down and have a long, drawn-out conversation or decide to have a meal in the middle of someone’s business. I was unable to feel as enthusiastic about the good life unit. This is because I preferred not to force myself to listen to what other people believed was good way to live.
I don’t think I will ever forget seeing Vincent parading around in a tinfoil hat during class. He may be an ass, but it was amusing. I thought it was particularly funny because he was trying to teach a class about the relevance of comics in a meaningful way, while wearing a stupid hat which completely ruined anyone taking him seriously. Another moment that I’d rather not forget was seeing an old man covered in pie after an activist group assaulted him with the most deadly weapon of all: a fresh baked pie. There’s something about an old man in a business suite covered in whip cream that really clears the lungs.
If there’s a single skill I’ve developed this semester, it’s definitely my ability to listen while multi-tasking. Many people don’t do this very well, but I feel that I’ve obtained a mastery of it. I can be writing an essay, listening to a class discussion and threatening Jordan’s life all at once. I personally think it’s a skill that will come in handy in the future. My critical reading skills remain relatively the same. I don’t think I’ve improved them in a long time. Writing essays remains a somewhat stressful task. I can portray my thinking in a concise manner, but have difficulty thinking of topics to write about. Staring at objects in my room has stopped yielding essay topics. It’s stressful to see that your habitat no longer brings inspiration. I still, unfortunately, wait until the last minute to get anything done.
The hegemony workshops were a good idea. They allowed people to have the opportunity to create workshops that were unique, inspiring and most importantly, informative. Did I use this potential for anything worthwhile? Not in the slightest. I’m sure that sounds harsh, but when you have little motivation, little interest and no consequences for not doing something, you’re not very inclined to do it.
I believe I’ve said this in nearly all of my reflections, but allowing people to make their own choices doesn’t work. Take away the freedom of students and provide them punishment for missteps and suddenly they will all be listening intently to your requests, orders and demands.
Reflection Six
I’ve concluded that the majority of our work this year has contributed to becoming wiser. That doesn’t seem like a very difficult conclusion to reach, as the curriculum is dedicated to exactly that. However, it’s important to confirm that the lesson plans did their job. It’s apparent that understanding the powers that control us, the government, how we listen and how we communicate is essential to becoming a wiser person. By exploring these topics, we obviously become wiser. Unfortunately, while studying them, it felt like the longer we spent going over each topic the less profound the subjects became until eventually, the discussions became dull and those who were previously interested become dispassionate and uncaring.
Outside of school I read books recommended by Andy such as the Spell of the Sensuous and Blindness which were interesting and held fascinating information about perception and the nature of humanity. Learning about how we perceive things is important. If you don’t understand why you yourself look at things the way you do, you’ll never be able to comprehend the reasons behind others do what they do. If you can’t do either, how can you truly be wise?
The year has been filled with many memorable moments. I can still recall Andy’s intricate portrayal of men on the elevator jive-talking, being crammed into a Starbuck’s, Nian’s conclusion regarding fathers and never to be forgotten, Vincent running around with a tinfoil hat on while acting like an idiot. The insights have been just as numerous. I will remember, regardless of age, the omnipresence of the government, what kind of listener I am and most of all that every store I walk into has been designed to get me out as quickly as possible. I think that just make my life a bit more depressing, though.
My essays show an obvious improvement in writing. Those at the beginning of the year are not necessarily worse than the ones I wrote later on, but the actual familiarity with writing is clearly more present than ever. My phrasing and tact has improved vastly. My sentences are sharper than ever. I don’t contribute very much thinking to my discussion logs, but when I go over them I leave written reflections which provoke thought. In comparison to what’s said in my 2nd reflection, which mentions that “my writing has received little attention,” I think that’s a fair improvement.
I’ve never had too much of a problem with reading, but as of late I’ve noticed that with time my reading skills haven’t progressed. In my second reflection I said that “reading has become a joke.” It really is.
This class is suited for young adults ages 17+ and adults of all ages. It’s not for the stupid or easily offended. Those are unnerved by communist; hippie nonsense should avoid this class and do their best to avoid anything related to actual wisdom. To be ready for the class, you should have your brain on from the time you wake up to the time you’re ready to sleep. Things said will be thought provoking and require time outside of the classroom to fully pursue.
The class proved to be interesting and insightful. The curriculum made that possible and reinforced it. I am wiser as a result of attending the class. However, it’s because I am now wiser that I am bitterer than ever. It seems like obtaining a fuller understanding of the events around me has caused me to only become more annoyed by the fact they’re occurring and that as a single person I can do relatively nothing to halt them.
As with every one of my reflections, I will tell you that in the future, you must deny your students the right to choose, contest or touch the minimal requirements. Take away the democratic system and return to the standard totalitarian structure so that you can not only have control of your students, but benefit them by actually getting them to do the work and work with your curriculum, instead of them letting them slaughter it and turn your class into free time with a supervisor.
From this experience, I wish to take three things. The first is a greater fondness of the standard teaching system. The instructor teaches, gives grades and rewards participation. The instructor does not allow students to take over and completely ruin their own learning experience. The second is a firm understanding of systems of power. The third is the ability to write thought provoking pieces that actually grab the attention of the reader. After all, hearing me rant is far more entertaining than hearing me lecture, isn’t it?