“You Have to Be There”
Averill Corkin describes the moment she decided to major in the humanities after seeing a video performance of the song “Du måste finnas” (“You Have to Be There”), in which a female refugee, overcome with loss and fear, questions the existence of God. She notes, despite the language difference, she understood the woman’s experience through the melody and the nature of her performance. She goes on to talk about the power of the humanities to connect us through our appreciation of art regardless of geographic, cultural, and language boundaries.
The song “Du måste finnas” (“You Have to Be There”)
Averill Corkin, Graduate Student, Harvard University
you-have-to-be-there
Getting Carried Away by a Book
The reason the moment stands out is that it was the first time I remember getting totally absorbed in a book. As I was reading, I lost track of the fact that I was reading and seemed to experience the words on the page almost a events I was living through. I remember that when I put down the book, I suddenly became aware that I'd lost track of time, of turning the pages, of the entire situation I was in. Only later when I heard of the idea of getting absorbed in a novel did I recognize that, yes, I've had that experience.
When I was young, maybe around 13 years old, I read a fantasy novel by Raymond Feist called <em>Magician</em>. I enjoyed reading since I was young, but I lived in a house where the TV was always on and I was easily distracted. On this occasion, I was reading on my bed in my quiet bedroom. The scene was some kind of chase, in which the main character is running away from something (maybe some monsters?), and he looks totally defeated. But suddenly, the hero's emotions produce some kind of magic effect and he defeats whatever it was that was chasing him.<br /><br />The reason the moment stands out is that it was the first time I remember getting totally absorbed in a book. As I was reading, I lost track of the fact that I was reading and seemed to experience the words on the page almost a events I was living through. I remember that when I put down the book, I suddenly became aware that I'd lost track of time, of turning the pages, of the entire situation I was in. Only later when I heard of the idea of getting absorbed in a novel did I recognize that, yes, I've had that experience.
Raymond E. Feist
<em>Magician</em> by Raymond E. Feist
When I was about 13 years old, in the early 1990s.
Kevin Spencer, 37, PhD student in English at Duke University
carried-away-book
Wabi-Sabi: The Perfectly Imperfect
This new outlook on the meaning of beauty has been part of me since that illuminating course, in conscious and unconscious ways. It helped me come to terms with my own imperfections, value simplicity, and accept the fact that things I have loved ended. It helped me embrace my reality as it is, appreciate it, and see the beauty in it. Since then I always try to smile when I notice some damage or rust in things I own and am attached to. I do not want to quickly throw them away, rather, I pause to appreciate the changes time has imprinted on them. It shaped how I think of beauty and assisted me in undoing some of the unrealistic ideals my western culture had instilled in me. Of course, I’m not quite there yet, but I will always be grateful to that class for showing me the beauty of the real, simple, and natural.
As part of my undergraduate degree in Asian studies, I took a class on Haiku, a traditional form of Japanese poetry. At the time, I knew nothing about Japan beyond its youth’s obsession with Hello Kitty and similar colorful animated characters. In analyzing and understanding the magic of these three-lines poems, we talked a lot about the traditional Japanese aesthetics on which they are based. And it was nothing like Hello Kitty.
Traditional Japanese aesthetics–which can be found in their well-known gardens, teahouses, and architecture at large–not only produces well-designed artifacts and surroundings, but also promotes an acceptance of reality. Japanese aesthetics is based on a few principles that highlight the beauty in the impermanent, imperfect, and incomplete (of which wabi-sabi are the more known terms to a western audience). These concepts create a realistic understanding of beauty. Taken as a whole, these aesthetic elements unveil the splendor of temporality, constant change, simplicity, imperfections, and even aging. Or, in other words, they embrace and laud life and nature for what they really are.
Growing up in a western culture, consuming beauty ideals straight from Hollywood movies, this class opened my eyes to a whole different understanding of beauty. Initially, it seemed foreign and odd, but as the course went on and I had the chance to internalize these ideas they started to make more sense than the ones I have known all my life.
This new outlook on the meaning of beauty has been part of me since that illuminating course, in conscious and unconscious ways. It helped me come to terms with my own imperfections, value simplicity, and accept the fact that things I have loved ended. It helped me embrace my reality as it is, appreciate it, and see the beauty in it. Since then I always try to smile when I notice some damage or rust in things I own and am attached to. I do not want to quickly throw them away, rather, I pause to appreciate the changes time has imprinted on them. It shaped how I think of beauty and assisted me in undoing some of the unrealistic ideals my western culture had instilled in me. Of course, I’m not quite there yet, but I will always be grateful to that class for showing me the beauty of the real, simple, and natural.
2006
Yael Lazar, PhD Candidate in Religious Studies at Duke University and a curator for the Humanities Moments Project
perfectly-imperfect
My Front Porch Looking In
Music helped transform my understanding of the world. There is a song for any emotion and the song can either exacerbate an existing emotion or help change the way you are feeling. It can cheer you up or allow you to wallow in whatever you are feeling but at the end of the day the fact that music can make you feel something is where its power comes from.
I was around seven years old. My dad and I were in the car when the song came on. "My Front Porch Looking In" by the band Lonestar was my favorite song and I knew every word. I loved singing the song at the top of my lungs every time it came on. Today though, I stayed quiet. I had just witnessed yet another argument between my parents and my dad had taken me for a drive around town to cool off. He looked over at me with a confused expression when he saw I wasn't singing. All of a sudden he started singing the song as loud as possible and started to sway back and forth. He smiled and nudged my arm and soon enough I was grinning and singing along. This was the first time that music helped me to cope with a difficult situation. Since that day, I have turned to music as a sort of therapy to help me get through any rough time and the power of music has never failed me.
Music helped transform my understanding of the world. There is a song for any emotion and the song can either exacerbate an existing emotion or help change the way you are feeling. It can cheer you up or allow you to wallow in whatever you are feeling but at the end of the day the fact that music can make you feel something is where its power comes from.
Lonestar
"My Front Porch Looking In" by Lonestar
2005
Zachary Fine, 19, Student
my-front-porch-looking-in
A House
Coming from a small country, one that is often overlooked, I was ready to dismiss any accomplishment produced by it. So much, that I did not see around me the beauty in my country that inspired Dario. I regarded his work as a piece of art separate from Nicaragua, not born from it. This moment helped me regain confidence in telling other people where I was raised. It helped me see the beauty of a country.
Every single year, from first grade all the way up to senior year, we heard about one man: Ruben Darío. Growing up in Nicaragua, where this internationally renowned poet/writer is from, one would expect that. We covered his biography life’s works multiple times in our literature classes. I recognized his undeniable talent, but somehow I had managed to overlook the simple fact he was Nicaraguan. It was not until 11th grade when we had a field trip to his house, which is now a preserved landmark 45 minutes away from my school, that I truly understood he was truly Nicaraguan.
Coming from a small country, one that is often overlooked, I was ready to dismiss any accomplishment produced by it. So much, that I did not see around me the beauty in my country that inspired Dario. I regarded his work as a piece of art separate from Nicaragua, not born from it. This moment helped me regain confidence in telling other people where I was raised. It helped me see the beauty of a country.
Ruben Dario
“Primaveral” by Ruben Dario
2015
Alejandro, 19, student
a-house
It’s the Little Things
There is a distinct moment I remember from my high school days that, while seemingly insignificant, is the reason I have always valued the humanities and humanities courses throughout my college experience. I was walking to a restaurant to meet a friend for lunch nearby my high school when a Taiwanese couple stopped me and asked for directions to a famous pond nearby. I could tell that they could not understand my instructions, so I tried my best to tell them the directions in Chinese, given my limited knowledge studying Chinese in school. Afterwards, they were very appreciative, smiled, and gave me a nod before being on their way, but this small moment made me recognize that the skills I was learning in my math, science, and computer science courses, while valuable, would rarely grant me such an experience.
My knowledge of Chinese, a foreign language and therefore a part of the humanities, was necessary for this moment to be memorable. If I had been unable to help the couple, I would have been disappointed with myself.
Spring 2014
Soravit Sophastienphong, 21, Undergraduate at Duke University
the-little-things
Bringing What I Love Into A New Field
Taking an art class, I incorporated my love for the sport I do into my work. This is a white charcoal on black paper of my friends and me at the Yale Invitational putting our legs up on the wall after a hard night of racing. Translating moments like these into art allows for a special remembrance of the events which is nice for everyone to look back on what they've done.
The humanities gave an opportunity for friends to record a moment in history together. A photo exists of the moment, but after taking the time to draw this out over a few weeks and work on each and every person with fine detail, the moment really stands out in your mind and is always available to you.
Stephen Garrett
Capturing History: Kicking the Feet up After a Job Well Done
January 2014
Stephen Garrett, 21, Student
bringing-what-i-love-into-new-field
Response to a response
I was in my English class and we were talking about humanities moments for extra credit. We talked about <a href="http://humanitiesmoments.org/moment/robbins-finding-freedom-from-familiar">a woman who disagreed with the "mimetic" effect</a> and she claimed that people have a desire to be different. I agree with this idea but I also believe that each human has a purpose in this world. Each individual is born with a burning desire inside of them to fulfill this purpose and live their lives to the absolute fullest. This gives me hope that one day each individual will discover something that makes them feel alive each day and causes them to live with purpose.<br /><br /><em>Curator's note</em>: This contribution refers to the Humanities Moment "<a href="http://humanitiesmoments.org/moment/robbins-finding-freedom-from-familiar">Finding Freedom from the Familiar"</a> by Hollis Robbins.
Hollis Robbins
The Humanities Moment "Finding Freedom from the Familiar"
10:30 am Feb, 21 2018
Jacob, Johnston 20 years old. College student at Texas A&M University
response-to-a-response
The world we live in isn't as big as you may think
On Tuesday February 6th of 2018, I watched SpaceX launch Falcon Heavy and successfully land two of its boosters. This launch was inspiring to many people because it was the first rocket launched capable of reaching Mars. The fact that Musk choose to launch his personal Tesla Roadster as a deadweight payload was a truly remarkable sight. The world was shown video footage of an already revolutionary electric car soaring above the atmosphere on a rocket developed by a wildly successful private space company.
However, this was very touching to me for a different reason. The last time the world experienced this level of competition over space exploration was the cold war. This race granted us a variety of technological innovations that helped the quality of life of citizens all over the globe including braces, smoke detectors, freeze dried food, and water purifiers just to name a few. These are great products but it is saddening to know that they were only possible due to a huge conflict between world superpowers where disputes between politicians put millions of innocent lives at risk.
The world we live in is full of conflict and competition. Tensions are high between the citizens of our nation and it is easy to feel like the world is very divided. I want to see a generation that focuses on bringing people together and fighting to improve everybody's quality of life rather than focusing on distances and widening cultural divides.
Seeing a dummy in an electric car soaring through the atmosphere instead of a nuclear warhead hit me with a wave of emotion. The blue sphere in the background was mesmerizing- you cannot see borders, buildings, populations, or the small parts of life we become accustomed to. The only sight is the entirety of our world. Just a small orb containing every human, every home, every life on earth together. Space exploration not only allocated money toward research and science rather than war and hate, but it brings the human race together in a way that nothing else can do.
I truly feel like my life has changed since seeing this. Whether I am driving around or standing in line among strangers I feel more care and respect for those around me. I know that I am a very insignificant part of our entire world and I feel more connected to those around me rather than living life looking for differences. Some may argue that we should focus on problems here on Earth but I think that space exploration brings us the innovations we did not know we needed here in the first place. In addition to that, I have never felt as connected to the rest of the world as I do now after seeing the February 6th launch. I think it is time we focus less on being citizens of our divided nations and put more effort into becoming citizens of this planet we share.
SpaceX
Falcon Heavy launch
February 6th, 2018
George, 21, student
world-isnt-as-big-as-you-think
Optimism in the Form of Self-Control
<p>Personally I’ve never been one to adopt a positive outlook when things go wrong. In my life, things tend to go wrong more than they go right. This time last year I was struggling. I was caught in some toxic friendships, a toxic situation with a guy, my best friend wasn’t returning my messages because she had stopped taking her anti-depressants, my grandmother was succumbing after a 3-year battle with stage 4 lung cancer, and my younger brother had attempted to commit suicide twice, was addicted to several narcotics and had premature dependencies on alcohol and marijuana. A lot of adult scenarios were thrown at me, someone who had just entered the adult realm and I wasn’t ready. My grades suffered, I lost weight, I lost my hair and I lost my sense of self. I had no true friends. I had no one to turn to and for once in my life, my mother needed a shoulder to cry on more than I did, which scared me. It’s very scary to see your strong, heroic mother bent over sobbing on the bathroom floor. I guess everyone has their kryptonite.</p>
<p>I usually take on a cynical approach to life. My daily statements always had an underlying tone of pessimism. I just so happened to pick up a self-help book, in the name of being cliche, but it made me feel better to read something that could progress/improve my life. Best decision I had made all year. Stephen R. Covey writes in his book, <em>The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People</em>, that there are always going to be things in life we aren’t in control of, called pre-determined aspects. Genetic determinism (how we look), psychic determinism (our upbringing), environmental determinism (the people around us). These create stimuli in our life. We don’t determine the stimuli in our life, but we control our response to them. Nobody can tell us how to react to situations.</p>
<p>Here I was in a downward spiral, feeling so out of control and vulnerable when I realized I controlled everything from here on out. And I always will. There will be so many obstacles in my life and if I were to let each hardship determine who I am, that would be giving dominion of myself over to my fears. Fears are immobilizing. Self-control and optimism were my saviors. Highly encourage the reading of this book.</p>
Stephen R. Covey
<em>The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People</em> by Stephen R. Covey
Freshman Year of College/Summer 2017
optimism-self-control
Not Too Far Off
While I was a teenager about to go off to college, I watched <em>Death of a Salesman</em> at the theater. At the time I was struggling with the transition I was about to embark on, but I found a deep connection to Biff's character. I felt like I was always running a never ending marathon for the amusement of those around me. After seeing Biff finally stand up to Willy and tell him that he was tired of trying to be something that he could not achieve, I felt a sense of clarity. I had to pursue what I wanted in life not just seek the approval of others. I started to implement this attitude in my daily life and saw that I began to enjoy life much more. You never know what will be your changing point until it blindsides you.
Arthur Miller
<em>Death of a Salesman</em> by Arthur Miller
Spring 2014
Brian Finke, 21, Student at Texas A&M
not-too-far-off
Here I Am
This might be a total Millennial generation kind of humanities moment, so readers be warned. One day, I was scrolling through social media when I came across a post from a wonderful calligraphy artist. It read, "and here you are living despite it all." The post reminded me of the many times in my life when I was so hurt and so devastated over something that had occurred that sometimes I didn't feel like I would survive them. There were arguments with my mom, break ups, and bad grades, and they all took their toll. So when I casually came across that post, I took a moment and realized just how far I had come and just how much I have accomplished despite those seemingly possible to overcome parts of my life. It was one of the few times I was genuinely proud of myself, my strength. Something as simple as scrolling through social media became my "aha!" moment that made me realize I'm stronger than I give myself credit for. I should be proud of who I've become, and I need to stop being so hard on myself. Something so simple became my humanities moment.
A social media post from a calligraphy artist
January 2018
Sydney, 21, student
here-i-am
The Best Motivational Token
It was a late night on September 14th, and school was at an overwhelming high. My new organization had just kicked off so all of my time was completely taken over by it, I was behind on my chemistry homework and I hadn't even began studying for my psychology test that was the following day. I felt like I was about to break into a million minuscule pieces, and I felt so emotionally drained that I was putting my loved ones on hold.
I was avoiding the text messages on my phone to avoid further distraction and more procrastination, but after a sufficient amount of time I decided I earned a break long enough to read what they said. I saw I had a message from my mom, but before I read it I remembered she told me a few days ago that I had a package coming on the 13th. Assuming that's what her text was about, I went outside to check the mail at midnight. Inside the package was one of my mom's classic gifts, a cheesy desk decorations with a quote of some sort on it. She always gave me these, but this time it hit my heart much deeper. It read, "You Make My Heart Happy." Tears flooded my eyes instantly. In that exact moment, this little wooden piece of cheesy decor fulfilled the void in my heart in the utmost way I needed. A kind reminder that I am valued, which I knew would help me power through this rough patch of the semester.
Astonished by this powerful moment, I immediately begin to text to tell my boyfriend, who also loves moments like these, which I call "God Moments." But to my surprise, and further heart-filled satisfaction, I already had a text waiting from him that said, "Keep a smile on that face, you brighten the world with it." Another reminder. It was as if everything aligned in my life in that sweet moment and I just let out a much needed cry and counted my blessings. Who knew this tacky little piece of art would trigger this exponential amount of needed love?
N/A
"You Make My Heart Happy"
9/14/17
Melanie, 20, Psychology major
best-motivational-token
Darkest Before the Dawn
Due to the oil and gas industry plummeting in 2016, my dad lost his job that he had for over 30 years, right before I was about to leave for college. I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of guilt and anxiety for the duration of that summer. In addition to this, I was unhealthily dwelling on all the new transitions that were to shortly come. Having to live on my own, find a new group of friends, and ultimately, adjust to the course load that university was going to demand of me were all weighing heavy on my mind.
I was mindlessly listening to music one night when a particular lyric caught my attention. “It’s always darkest before the dawn,” from Florence + the Machine’s “Shake It Out” quickly resonated with me upon hearing it. Hearing these words at this time of my life helped me realize that just because things seem difficult and unbearable at the time, it doesn’t mean that they will always be that way. Hearing the right string of words at the right moment can have a profound effect and I am thankful that the Humanities celebrates such moments.
Florence + the Machine
"Shake It Out" by Florence + the Machine
Summer 2016
Natalie Huebel, 22 years old and a student at Texas A&M University.
darkest-before-the-dawn
We All Float On
When I was a senior in high school, one of my friend's passed away from a tragic accident. My friend and I decided to attend the funeral together for comfort and support. I picked her up early that morning to shed our tears over him, and after spending some time with the family, we made our way back home. We decided to turn on some music to lighten the mood, when a Modest Mouse song came on the radio- "We All Float On." The two of us started bawling, but by the end of the song we felt we had healed, if only a little bit. We felt weightless. Life is short, and we're all just bumping around in it. Its crazy how sometimes the universe gives you exactly what you need.
"We All Float On" by Modest Mouse
2014
Katie Clark, 21, Student
we-all-float-on
God Wink
Today I went to Smoothie King after I left the gym, like I always do. As I neared the drive thru window, a little voice inside my head told me, “pay for the person’s order behind you.” Without hesitation, I handed the cashier my card and asked him to add the next person’s order to my bill. With a strange look on his face, he agreed. He then returned with my receipt and my smoothie and I pulled away.
When I got home I glanced at the receipt and realized that what I assumed would be an $8.00 act of random kindness, turned out to be $25.00. I immediately thought to myself, “wow! I tried to be generous and this is what happens?” I reached for my phone to text my mom about what had just occurred when I noticed the unread daily text message my preacher sends out. Sure enough, the text message read “Generosity is rarely about money. It‘s more about the willingness you have to share a blessing with other people. –Acts 20:35”
In that moment, God reminded me of why I chose to be generous; not because I thought it was a cheap favor, but because I chose to show kindness.
Acts 20:35
April 25, 2018
Stephany Rankin, 22, Student at Texas A&M University
god-wink
Live with a Humanities Mindset!
As a society we are so often encouraged to go about our days in such a way that builds our own futures. This is great and all, but we need to think of the effects of always thinking of ourselves. This standard attitude of underhanded selfishness is so prevalent that seeing a person take the time to recognize the future of another individual or group of individuals and actually take action to improve the future of that or those individual(s) has been given a series of special names: charity, or donation, or social service, or community service. Why not make it a part of every day to chase our own dreams at the same time as fighting for futures beyond our own?
Kenneth, 20, student at Texas A&M University
live-with-a-humanities-mindset
This Couldn’t Happen to Me
This past year my aunt, my mother’s sister, passed away very young at age 45. Her passing devastated me and my family. The thought that kept entering my head was there’s no way this could happen to me. Tragedies, catastrophes, and other huge losses have never affected me so directly. <br /><br />Then, in one of my English classes we began to read a book <em>Beyond Katrina</em>, which detailed the destruction of Hurricane Katrina on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Reading about these people who lost so many family members so suddenly and so young just broke my heart in ways I had never understood until now. The same thought was most likely going through their heads, this can’t be happening to me. <br /><br />It was at this time that I realized that we really are all in this together. Death and loss is a tragic thing, but it brings people so much closer and that is the most human thing I have ever felt. It was so beautifully sad.
<em>Beyond Katrina</em> by Natasha Trethewey
April 2018
Madison Forrest, 18, student
this-couldnt-happen-to-me
To Pimp a Butterfly
Some would say music is the most powerful of the arts. The album <em>To Pimp A Butterfly</em> by Kendrick Lamar is just that, powerful. The overall theme of the album revolves around the black experience in America. This album is an emotional, gut wrenching roller coaster. With George Clinton and Thundercat production, <em>To Pimp A Butterfly</em> has an authentic Afro-Funk sound to compliment the layered, complex subject matter in the lyrics. Kendrick speaks in depth about how having slave ancestors affects him in an honest and vulnerable way without compromising strength. <br /><br />This album made me question whether I had spent enough time thinking about the effects of over 400 years of slavery. I highly recommend this album to everyone interested in the American black experience!!!
<em>To Pimp a Butterfly</em> by Kendrick Lamar
2015
Alex Azzi, Student at TAMU
to-pimp-a-butterfly
A Requirement I Started to Love
To get an ALP (Arts, Literature, & Philosophy) credit I took an English class about books and short stories that were turned into movies. What I thought would be a fun, lighthearted class, led to an immense appreciation of the details that authors and directors choose to include in their work (while being fun of course). Anything I watch now causes me to think about the choices behind every aspect of production and allows me to explore a creative side that I never thought I would be interested in.
The works we read and watched all caused me to consider the different perspectives of the characters but also of the authors and directors that have to portray their message through techniques.
Alice Walker, Mario Puzo, Annie Proulx, Tod Robbins
<em>The Color Purple</em>, <em>The Godfather</em>, <em>Brokeback Mountain</em>, "Spurs"
Fall 2017
Liv McKinney, Duke '20, Biology Major
requirement-started-to-love
Harry Potter and My Mom
I was always an avid reader as a child. As a matter of fact, I read a majority of the <em>Harry Potter</em> books when I was in elementary school. These books meant so much to me, it explored my sense of wonder and magic that my young soul craved. As a matter of fact, after reading these books, I dressed up as a witch for the remainder of my time in elementary school. My favorite book out of the series was <em>Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire</em>. <br /><br />These books mean so much to me because of my mom. She was always so proud of me for reading such big books at a young age. Every time we would visit our family, she would always boast about how much I loved to read. Thinking back on it now, I can finally understand why she made this ordinary pastime for me, such an extraordinary event in her life. My mother did not have the same opportunities as I to read and actually enjoy reading. When my mother was in elementary school, her parents would make her work outside and clean the house in order for her family to survive. She did not have the privilege to sit down and obtain the wonder and joy that books gave me. So, to her, seeing me read must have been a validation her of her hard work so that I would not have to clean our house or work outside. Now, when I look back at the Harry Potter series, I not only think about the wonder and joy these books gave me, but also how happy, relieved, and proud my mother must have felt. She gave me the life that she always wanted. <br /><br />I hope to one day pass down the collection of <em>Harry Potter</em> to my own kids and one day feel that proudness that my mother felt. My mother’s love for me reading, further increased my love of reading. Now, whenever I sit down to read a book, whether it be for fun or class, I always think of my mother and how hard she worked so that I could sit down and enjoy the book that she wished she could read. <br /><br />I was always an avid reader as a child. As a matter of fact, I read a majority of the <em>Harry Potter</em> books when I was in elementary school. These books meant so much to me, it explored my sense of wonder and magic that my young soul craved. As a matter of fact, after reading these books, I dressed up as a witch for the remainder of my time in elementary school. My favorite book out of the series was <em>Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire</em>. These books mean so much to me because of my mom. She was always so proud of me for reading such big books at a young age. Every time we would visit our family, she would always boast about how much I loved to read. Thinking back on it now, I can finally understand why she made this ordinary pastime for me, such an extraordinary event in her life. My mother did not have the same opportunities as I to read and actually enjoy reading. When my mother was in elementary school, her parents would make her work outside and clean the house in order for her family to survive. She did not have the privilege to sit down and obtain the wonder and joy that books gave me. So, to her, seeing me read must have been a validation her of her hard work so that I would not have to clean our house or work outside. <br /><br />Now, when I look back at the <em>Harry Potter</em> series, I not only think about the wonder and joy these books gave me, but also how happy, relieved, and proud my mother must have felt. She gave me the life that she always wanted. I hope to one day pass down the collection of <em>Harry Potter</em> to my own kids and one day feel that proudness that my mother felt. My mother’s love for me reading, further increased my love of reading. Now, whenever I sit down to read a book, whether it be for fun or class, I always think of my mother and how hard she worked so that I could sit down and enjoy the book that she wished she could read.
The <em>Harry Potter</em> series, particularly <em>Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire</em>
This moment happened when I was a third grader.
Amanda Trevino, 21, currently a college student who will be attending medical school next fall!
harry-potter-and-my-mom
No Such Thing as Silence
I believe I was in the first year of my undergrad when I saw a video of John Cage’s 1952 composition <em>4’33”</em> for the very first time. It’s been give-or-take eight years since I sat in that lecture room, but I still keep coming to that day in my thoughts, to that moment when everything fell into place for me as a future humanities scholar. I remember leaning forward in my chair (I always used to sit in the back, feeling like I didn’t belong, like I wasn’t cut out for university, still finding my place) and squinting at the image projected on the wall, staring at the pianist as he stared into the audience and they stared at back at him. He never played a note, he never sang a word, he never even spoke. I didn’t at first realise the gravity of that composition. I knew Cage was an experimental, avant-garde artist and so I didn’t bat an eyelash at the weirdness of his “music”, but I couldn’t fathom the /why/, I couldn’t understand the purpose, until I realised that /why/ wasn’t the question I was supposed to be asking at all. I was supposed to listen. <em>4’33”</em> is an avant-garde composition whose score instructs the musicians not to play their instruments. It consists of three movements and takes exactly four minutes and thirty-three seconds. While many people perceive the duration of the composition as four minutes and thirty-three seconds of awkward silence, Cage maintains that his composition is anything but silence. What we may perceive as nothing is actually EVERYTHING. While the musician doesn’t actually play, there are so many things going on, there are so many sounds that we might have not even heard under normal circumstances; the squeaking as the audience squirms in their seats, some opening packets of peanuts, some whispering to each other, perhaps sharing secrets or paying each other compliments, telling each other “I love you” or perhaps “I hate you”; the muffled traffic and ambulance siren noises coming in from outside the concert hall, people rushing from or off to somewhere, people meeting people, people being rushed off to hospitals, people living, people dying… this is what makes "the music". That's the actual composition. My mind was blown. I couldn’t help but imagine the story behind each of those sounds. I couldn't help but care. And I realised that that was it. That was what excited me about being in that lecture room, about being a humanities student. The thing is, if John Cage’s composition was never performed, we may have perhaps never heard those sounds. Or we may have heard them, but not /heard them/. And that’s why I feel humanities are important; why I feel like studying literature and culture is crucial, even. Humanities ARE <em>4’33”</em>––they provide a platform that lets us, the students and the scholars, the writers and the readers, stop and listen. They let us care. And that's important. There's no such thing as a silence, unless you live in a vacuum, and that is no place to live.
John Cage's 1952 composition <em>4'33"</em>
2010
Tereza Walsbergerová, 27, graduate student of English
no-such-thing-as-silence
If the World Had Been Watching
I read this quote in a Starbucks cafe two weeks before final exams.I was completely focused on the overwhelming cluster of due dates standing in between me and graduation. One of the deadlines that was rapidly approaching was my annotated bibliography for my Senior Seminar. I had chosen the Rwandan genocide, thinking I would have a large amount of information to create a decent paper. The genocide stemmed from Hutu extremists calling for the mass extermination of the Tutsi people after blaming the Rwandan Patriotic Front, a Tutsi rebel group, for the death of Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana. This ultimately led to the death of 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus.I was indifferent to this issue as it was merely to be another ten page paper that I planned to procrastinate until the last minute. As I scoured the internet for a variety of sources regarding the mass genocide of nearly one million people, I came across a quote posted on the United to End Genocide website.
“Rwanda can be a paradise again, but it will take the love of the entire world…and that’s as it should be, for what happened in Rwanda happened to us all – humanity was wounded by the genocide.”
– Immaculée Ilibagiza, Rwandan author
Rwanda. A country that experienced a mass tragedy in the short span of 100 days was forgotten about. Kurt Cobain had just been found dead in his apartment and the FIFA World Cup were capturing the attention of the United States. America had turned it's head to mass killing of almost a million people. This quote by Immaculée Ilibagiza shows me that we let down humanity on April 6th, 1994. We turned away from a problem that was "too big for us to face". But in the face of injustice that this quote address, I was able to find hope. For this isn't the end. Rwanda CAN become a paradise. But we must nurture it with empathetic arms. We must see the victims as our community rather than a series of statistics. We wounded humanity by our silence, but it is not too late to turn this mindset around. The first step at a better tomorrow rests in being aware. Our ignorance hurt Rwanda. We must make ourselves aware of these dilemmas in an effort to prevent them from happening again. By making ourselves aware we are able to place ourselves in the victims shoes. Like the quote says, "what happened in Rwanda happened to all of us. Humanity was wounded by genocide". Humanity can also stop genocide through making ourselves aware. My humanitarian moment was in a Starbucks cafe where I discovered that the same wound that humanity received from genocide is the same wound that can be healed through love.
“Rwanda can be a paradise again, but it will take the love of the entire world…and that’s as it should be, for what happened in Rwanda happened to us all – humanity was wounded by the genocide.” – Immaculée Ilibagiza, Rwandan author
November 2018
Cynthia Tomaselli, 21, Student
if-the-world-had-been-watching
Things Don't Have To Be The Way They've Always Been
Gloria Anzaldua’s <em>Borderlands</em> was one of the assigned texts in my U.S. Mexico Border class this semester. In this book, Anzaldua writes about borders she encounters between herself and men, other cultures, and even her own culture as a homosexual Mexican-American woman from the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. She expresses a deeply planted love for her culture by using personal narrative, poetry, and the unique approach of switching between English and Spanish without warning. <br /><br />Amongst all of this literary beauty, she directly addresses the shortcomings of the Mexican-American culture. One problem Anzaldua specifically points out is machismo. She bashes machismo by calling out the oppression women experience because of this culturally developed mentality of male superiority. <br /><br />As a native of the Rio Grande Valley like Anzaldua, I know what it is to live in a community where two worlds collide and make one. Living in a place where strong Mexican influence is easily detectable by seeing the kinds of restaurants operating or by hearing the kinds of languages spoken in schools (Spanish, Spanglish, Tex-Mex), I grew a love for this fusion of cultures. With this love came a sense of duty to defend my culture which typically meant a shut mouth about its flaws. I continually accepted the explanation, “Things are the way they are because that’s how they’ve always been.” I thought if I drew attention to something I thought was wrong with my culture, I would be embarrassing my own kind. <br /><br />It was not until I read Anzaldua’s book that I realized that did not have to be true. Like a parent would, I could show tough love to my culture by teaching it to acknowledge and learn from its mistakes, instead of biting my tongue about them. The Humanities are frequently studied to learn about populations, experiences, and ideas that may seem to only be relevant in places that are worlds away. Learning about others is of great value. And so is learning from others. But let us remember that the Humanities can always have something to teach us about the worlds that are our own.
<em>Borderlands</em> by Gloria Anzaldua
September 2018
Gabriela Lopez, 21, Texas A&M University Undergraduate Student
things-dont-have-to-be-the-way-theyve-always-been
The Beauty of Love and Human Connection
I could go on and on regarding literature or art that has altered my perspective on life. I was tempted to write about watching beautiful sunsets that show that even the worst day can have a happy ending. However, I had to choose a passage from Rupi Kaur’s <em>Milk and Honey</em> which taught me that instead of filling our lives with worry, we should focus on spreading love. The passage reads: <em>most importantly love like it’s the only thing you know how at the end of the day all of this means nothing this page where you’re sitting your degree your job your money nothing even matters except love and human connection who you loved and how deeply you loved them how you touched the people around you and how much you gave them</em> <br /><br />I first read this passage while applying to college during my senior year in high school. I was so overwhelmed and worried about not getting into my number one school that I would isolate myself until everything was completed. <br /><br />Then I read this passage. I realized that in the end, it won’t matter where I go to college or the job I have. The most important thing in life is human connection. Making memories, having fun, loving and enjoying life is vital when it comes to experiencing the world as we live our lives. After reading this passage, I decided that my last year in high school should not be devoted to worry and stress, it should be the last year that I am able to make memories with the people who I have grown up with. I stopped worrying, and instead I surrounded myself with the friends that I have to part from at the end of the year. Society focuses too much on the vexatious things in life, a job, money, where we live. When we should be focusing on spreading love and being loved. Once I die, I don’t want to be remembered by my job or how much money I had; I want to be remembered for how I positively impacted the people around me. In the end, the only thing that matters is love and human connection.
<em>Milk and Honey</em> by Rupi Kaur
Late 2018
Corynn Fitzpatrick, 18, student
beauty-love-human-connection
How Hamilton Restored My Belief In Writing
First, above all else, I consider myself a student of literature. Perhaps I’ve chosen this phrase to generalize my pursuits, or maybe to conceal the small place in the world of literature to which I belong. I am a writer, albeit fairly new to the Creative Writing side of things. My first encounter with serious creative writing was in the Fall of 2013, during a course for the subject. While this is not my focus today, it is important that you understand where my time as a writer began. <br /><br />In the Fall of 2017, after having worked on the same manuscript for the last four years, I lost the will to keep writing every day. That soon snowballed into every two weeks, and soon every six months. <br /><br />Then, something happened to further my pursuit of writing. October of 2016, I was visiting my cousin’s house and heard some kind of music coming from her bedroom. The song was about a woman making a toast to her sister, who was being married to the man that her sister secretly loved, as she soon after explained to me. It was a track called “Satisfied” from <em>Hamilton: An American Musical</em>. I found the idea of the musical odd, but listened to the song anyway. Later that weekend, I took it upon myself to listen to the whole musical. It tells the story of founding father Alexander Hamilton from childhood, to Treasurer and Secretary of the United States. Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the son of Puerto Rican immigrant parents, and a former English Teacher turned musical genius. A main theme of <em>Hamilton</em>, is all of the writing that Alexander Hamilton worked to complete, often writing several pieces of work in little time. He kept with it, and wound up as one of the greatest founding members of our country. But why does a musical about Alexander Hamilton and his work matter to me? Because <em>Hamilton</em> was the answer to my silent prayers for something to keep me writing. Fast forward to May of 2018, I still hadn’t written anything new since Fall of last year and was beginning to worry that my plans for the future weren’t as secure as I’d thought them to be. <br /><br />Then, they announced that tickets for <em>Hamilton: An American Musical</em> had gone on sale for the Utah tour date. My mother decided that we’d try to get some, and hours later on the day of the sale, we wound up with four tickets. The show was absolutely amazing. The music and sound all combined perfectly to create a beautiful performance. At the end of the show, we went to stage door and got our playbills signed by a few members of the cast. Later that night, as I stared at the signed bill, I understood something. Writing wasn’t about not having the time or being too busy, it was about filling the empty space between all of those moments with frenzied and unfiltered words. Writing was fluid, filling in the empty spaces between school and work. <br /><br />That Playbill now sits on my bookshelf, among stacks of hardcovers and paperbacks. The signatures are visible from the top shelf, and when I wake up in the morning, I see them. Those little glossy pages bound together and signed with someone else’s name remind me of a pivotal moment in my life. At that moment, I made the realization that I had been wrong about writing being something that you did sparingly, when you found the time for it or wanted the will to put pen to paper, or quill to parchment. It was, and had always been, about writing like you’re running out of time.
A live performance of <em>Hamilton: An American Musical</em> written by Lin-Manuel Miranda
In May of 2018
Brianna Whitney, 18, Student
hamilton-restored-my-belief-in-writing
How I Used My Voice To Love Myself
My humanities project is on the K-pop group called BTS. BTS helped me overcome my challenges in life, helped me feel better about myself, and helped me become happier than I was 5 years ago. I had it rough in jr high. No one wanted to be my friend or wanted to talk to me. I was all alone and no one had the same interests as me at that time. At that time I was into Anime and Manga and wanted a friend who shared that same interest as me, as I try my hardest putting myself out there and with my mom’s words echoing through my head saying “ Just be your own self Kelsey, you are who you are, don’t be ashamed of it.” I have always stuck to my mom’s voice in my head every day when I go to school because it helped me calm down. I also wish that I didn’t have my iPod during my jr. high years, as I was addicted to it like everyone else with their phones. I ruined myself more and more. I put myself down a lot and didn’t want to talk to my family or play games with them. I didn’t want to go out anymore with friends as I always became the third wheel and I didn’t dress like myself. I wish I could go back in time and changed the way I acted and the way I was feeling, but that wasn’t the case. I also had a bad time in school, not just with friends, but with assignments and teachers. I was having a hard time understanding what was being taught to me and processing it through my head. I was always afraid of asking for help as I had that voice in the back of my head telling me that the teachers would yell at me or wouldn’t help me. I always knew something was wrong with me and how I learned ever since elementary school. I found out that I have a learning disability in the 3rd term of my 10th-grade year. I had a really hard time in Math and English as I had been in and out of a regular English class since 7th grade and missing those concepts that I should’ve learned. At this time I was a little bit into BTS and have known of them but haven’t researched them at all. <br /><br />I decided to watch a video called “YouTubers React to K-Pop.” on Youtube. In that video, there were 4 groups that the youtuber’s were reacting to. One group stood out to me like 7 boys were calling my name, saving me from the troubles that I was facing. That group was BTS. I wanted to learn more about them and wanted to see what they were about. <br /><br />The video that made me a fan today is called “Dope.” The music video started to play and I felt something change in me, and slowly made me happy. The leader of the group named RM started out saying “어서 와 방탄은 처음이지.” Which translates to “ Come on. You're the first Bulletproof?” RM said it with a smile as he was introducing me to a whole new fandom right before my eyes. I didn’t know any Korean at that time, but it gave me the chills. And it still does to this day. It made me feel welcomed and loved. <br /><br />I showed my mom BTS a few months later after my experience and showed her the “Dope” music video. She was happy that I was happy and becoming anew with this new experience right before my eyes. I thought she would hate it and tell me not to listen to them anymore. My mom was also showing interest in them. (I think she is secretly an Army as well). <br /><br />On August 24, 2018, BTS came out with a new song called “Idol” that talks about loving yourself and being yourself and not listening to what the haters say because they are not you. This song made me different today because of the meaningful lyrics. BTS also spoke at the UN on September 24, 2018. The leader named Kim Namjoon spoke and talked about his life growing up in Ilsan. He said a line in a song in their earlier albums saying, “My Heart stopped when I was 9 or 10” (Washington Post, 2018). Looking back he began to worry what other people thought about him and started to look through their eyes. He stopped looking up at the stars and jammed himself in what molds people made for him. He shut his own voice and listened to others talking for him. “No one called out my name, Neither did I” (Washington Post, 2018). It took a long time for music to call out his real name. After Making BTS there were a lot of hardships that they went through. Most people won’t believe them now, but back then a lot of people thought they were hopeless. Sometimes he just wanted to quit. “We will keep falling and stumbling.” Kim Namjoon stated that BTS is huge worldwide, selling out stadiums and becoming more popular by the day. In reality, he is just a regular 24-year-old man. After releasing their <em>Love Yourself</em> album and releasing the Love Yourself campaign with UNICEF, they have heard and seen a lot of messages from their fans about how this album and campaign has helped them through their trials and hard times. It helped them to love themselves even more. “So, let’s take one more step. We have learned to love yourself. So I urge you to speak yourself” (Kim Namjoon, Washington Post, 2018). <br /><br />At the end of RM’s speech, he asked us this one question and that question has been stuck in my head since I watched the video and the question is- “What is your Name? What excites you and makes your heart beat? Tell me your story. I want to hear your voice and I want to hear your conviction” (Kim Namjoon, Washington Post, 2018). He also added, “No matter who you are, where you are from, your skin color, your gender identity. Just speak yourself.” (Kim Namjoon, Washington Post, 2018) I played this video over and over again because it hit me so hard and I wanted to take RM’s challenge and love myself and feel good about myself and not listen to what other people say about me. <br /><br />2018 has been my year to find that voice inside me and expand my horizons. The song Idol and RM’s speech helped me find a friend that needed me and my help. She is from Japan and she is an exchange student. She has been having a hard time living here in the United States. When I heard her hardships with the host family she was living with, and how stressed she was, I used my voice and offered to let her stay with my family until she goes back home. I realized when she started living with me that I completed RM’s challenge. I used my voice and help someone in need and made myself happier than 5 years ago. I’m a whole different person than I was before, and more open to other people around me because I love myself.
"Idol" by BTS: https://youtu.be/pBuZEGYXA6E
September 2018
Kelsey Smith, 18 years old. I love to write stories and use my imagination. I also love working with little kids as well.
how-i-used-my-voice-to-love-myself
Chimborazo and the Sublime
There is a term in the humanities known as “the Sublime” (Rabb). The Sublime specifically refers to a concept in art established during the Romantic era when landscape paintings thrived. The Sublime alludes to the beauty in the untamed and dangerous aspects of nature; it is the “awe and reverence for the wild…[it] can also be uplifting, but in a deeply spiritual way” (Rabb). My humanities moment occurred the first time I truly felt the Sublime. <br /><br />Even though my humanities moment was not associated with a painting or physical piece of art, it transpired in nature - allowing the sense of the Sublime. It took place in December of 2017 in Ecuador. I currently live in Ecuador with part of my family and around the Holidays, we decided to visit a city about two hours away called Riobamba. To get from Quito (where we live) to Riobamba, however, you have to drive past Chimborazo. Chimborazo is an active volcano sitting at about 20,000 feet and, because of the equatorial bulge, it is the furthest point from the center of the earth. This volcano is huge and magnificent and because of the altitude, it is rarely clear enough to see it as clouds usually perch at its peak. That day, as we drove closer to the base of Chimborazo, we reluctantly resigned to the fact that the opportunity was most likely gone and the clingy clouds would block our view that day. However, as we continued to drive, we turned a corner and found ourselves right below the colossal Chimborazo. At that exact moment, the clouds quickly parted and the sun shone down right onto its exposed crest. Instantly, everyone in the car went silent and my breath was physically taken away. The Sublime was so real in that moment. This towering, formidable, awe-inspiring mountain made my heart sink and tears come to my eyes. It was the first time I remember something not man-made and so coincidental evoke such a feeling and a reaction; something non-human or not created by a human could make me feel human. We all sat there staring at the majesty and grandeur and wallowing in the Sublime. <br /><br />As I look back on it now, I realize that there was a second element that elevated my humanities moment. As we turned the corner a song was playing; a type of song that had never made me feel anything before, but in that moment it did and it exalted the experience of the volcano even further. The song is called “On Earth As It Is In Heaven” composed by Ennio Morricone from the movie <em>The Mission</em>. This score has always been considered ‘celestial music’ in my family however, it never really spoke to me. In fact, classical music in general has never really spoken to me, until that day at Chimborazo. As the clouds parted and the sun shone and that song climaxed, the feelings were indescribable. I chose this experience as my humanities moment because multiple things impacted me in ways I had never experienced. First, nature had never before given me that feeling of the Sublime. I had never become so reverenced and awe-inspired by untamed and wild nature before, to the point of tears and speechlessness. Also, no piece of classical music had ever before made me feel something or evoke an emotional response until that day. I could always take or leave classical music and I never had a passion for it until then. Because of this experience, I have learned to appreciate more the natural and beautiful things in life. I have learned to allow myself to be moved by nature and art and to enjoy the world around me. Because of that music and the Sublime, I will never forget that day at Chimborazo. <br /><br />Works Cited<br /> <br />Morricone, Ennio. “On Earth As It Is In Heaven” The Mission Soundtrack, Virgin Records Ltd, 2004, 1. itunes, itunes.apple.com/us/album/on-earth-as-it-is-in-heaven/714408074?i=714408593, accessed January 10, 2019. <br /><br />Rabb, Lauren. “19th Century Landscape - The Pastoral, the Picturesque and the Sublime.” The University of Arizona Museum of Art and Archive of Visual Arts, 9 Oct. 2009, artmuseum.arizona.edu/events/event/19th- century-landscape-the-pastoral-the-picturesque-and-the-sublime.
A volcano called Chimborazo and a song titled “On Earth As It Is In Heaven”
December 27, 2017
Emma Barlow, 18, Student
chimborazo-sublime
“This is Water”: Finding Empathy in the Banalities of Daily Living
I was first introduced to David Foster Wallace’s “This is Water” in a Language and Composition class. Our textbook was full of examples of rhetoric, categorized by topic. “This is Water” was originally a Commencement speech given at Kenyon College in 2005. A shortened version was transcribed in my textbook which I had to analyze and write about for my class. In reading DFW’s words I found a perspective that resonated with me and one that the world is often starved of. The speech opens with an anecdote about fish swimming in the ocean. Two young fish are asked by an older fish, “How’s the water?” and one young fish turns to the other and says, “what the hell is water?” Wallace uses this story to point out that often, like fish in the ocean, we’re not aware of what surrounds us. As humans each of us are predisposed to be self-centered, because our own thoughts and needs come to us much more urgently than anyone else’s. In the tedium and banality of “day-in, day-out” life we begin to see the strangers around us in traffic or at the grocery store as obstacles and annoyances rather than recognizing them as people whose reality is just as vivid and important as our own, with triumphs and tragedies of similar magnitude.
My favorite part of the speech is DFW’s perspective on freedom. While there are many ways to feel “free” (money, power, success, beauty, etc.), “the really important kind of freedom involves attention, and awareness, and discipline and effort, and being able to truly care about other people and to sacrifice for them, over and over, in myriad, petty little unsexy ways, every day. That is real freedom.” It’s easy to submit to our “default setting” (DFW), unknowingly considering ourselves to be the center of the universe, “lords of our own tiny skull sized kingdoms, alone at the center of all creation”. Our kingdoms do need some of our attention, you do need to focus on your own needs and ambitions. But to see the “water” around you as an annoyance or not to see it all, to forget about the billions of other mind kingdoms walking around, perhaps anxiety ridden kingdoms or dyslexic ones, maybe some are very similar to your own, is to miss out on connection that is uniquely human and beautiful.
I find it crucial to remember that the people wrapping my cheeseburger or standing in front of me in the self-checkout line or stopped next to me at a light, all have dreams and fears and insecurities and pains and joys, and maybe they’re battling mental illness or training for an Iron Man or their favorite color is orange like mine or they’ve just found out that they’re pregnant or they’re struggling to learn English. The point is that none of us are alone on this planet, and sometimes it just takes getting out of our own heads and looking at the water.
"This is Water," a speech by David Foster Wallace
My junior year of high school.
Avery, 18, Student
this-is-water-banalities-of-living
The Brightest Star in the Night
My humanities moment took place over a few years. It all started one day when I was in the 4th grade. This was one of my favorite days in elementary school because we had an assembly that day. That meant that after lunch recess we got to do something fun instead of doing math or history or science or something else that was uncolorful and boring. I was really excited to find out that it was an art assemble, which meant that afterwards we would get to paint or draw for the rest of the day. Taped all over the walls of our gym were many colorful, bright, and interesting paintings. When we were all seated on the floor I was able to get a better view of the paintings on my side of the wall. It was very interesting to look back and forth between the different sides of the gym. On the far side the paintings looked just like standard paintings but on the side near to me I could see all the little details. <br /><br />The art teacher went on to explain why the paintings looked different from a distance. These were some of Vincent van Gogh’s most famous paintings and that he used a very unique style and technique. She explained that he is best known for his use of pointillism. This means that he painted using thousands of dots or strokes to create a very detailed and bright picture. My favorite picture that she showed us was of a little town at night. It had blue rolling hills and a swirly starry sky. <br /><br />After learning about his style and looking at more of his paintings we went back to our class and got to try out painting like him. I had so much fun learning about and painting in Van Gogh’s unique style. It was by far my most favorite assembly. In middle school I kept seeing the painting with the swirly night sky and so I decided to look more into Vincent van Gogh’s life. He was born on March 30, 1853 in Zundert, Netherlands to Theodorus van Gogh and Anna Carbentus. Van Gogh was introduced to art very early in life when he worked with his uncle as an art dealer. During his early adulthood he had trouble figuring out his purpose in life. He worked many jobs trying to figure this out; he worked as an art dealer, a bookseller, and even became a preacher at one point. On his preaching mission in Borinage, Belgium, a mining region, he would give Bible readings to the locals. While this was all happening he would write to his brother, Theo, about his journeys. In these letters he would draw little sketches and drawings of what he saw. Which caused Theo to advise him to pursue his passion for art. Van Gogh agreed and soon got art lessons from Anton Mauve. Since Van Gogh didn't have a paying job anymore, Theo would send him money. Later in his painting career, as compensation for Theo taking care of him, he would give Theo some of his paintings to sell. Vincent van Gogh’s mental health fluctuate all throughout his life. He began a relationship with a former prostitute Sien Hoornik. Together they rented a studio where they lived along with her baby and five year old daughter. The relationship broke off and Van Gogh moved to Arles, Paris to focus on his art. There he rented one of his rooms to fellow artist Paul Gauguin. Paul and him had very different art styles and would often get into heated arguments with one another. This along with the stress of his painting career being unsuccessful caused his mental health to deteriorate. At its worst, he cut off his ear then gave it to a prostitute wrapped in a newspaper. After his recovery in the hospital he went back home to paint. Then feeling his mental health declining again he admitted himself to the psychiatric hospital in Saint-Rémy. While there he experienced a period of extreme confusion and ate oil paint. It was at this asylum that Vincent van Gogh painted The Starry Night, the swirly painting that I had liked so much. With everything becoming too much, on July 27, 1890 Van Gogh shot himself in the chest. He was able to walk back to his house and was found, but it was to late for him. Vincent van Gogh died on July 29, 1890 in Auvers-sur-Oise, France. Over his lifetime he drew over 850 paintings and about 1,300 works on paper. <br /><br />Sadly, it was only after his death that his paintings found any success and popularity. This has influenced me personally because it taught me to not take everything at face value. You might not know what is going on underneath the surface. With Van Gogh his paintings seemed so happy and playful but behind that he was struggling financially and with his mental health. It taught me to be aware of those around me and to remind myself that not everything is pretty. After learning more about Vincent van Gogh’s life and his struggles it made the painting have a deeper meaning. It was both sad and beautiful to learn about the man behind the paintings. I learned that even in the worst situations people can create eternal beauty.
<em>The Starry Night</em> by Vincent van Gogh
2010/2011
Sydnie, 18, Student
the-brightest-star-in-the-night