Famous Last Words Week 2

So, here we are – finished with the second week of classes! This week of assignments was a lot different than last week’s, but I definitely feel that the activities last week helped familiarize me with the expectations and format of the class. I also really like that that the weekly schedule will follow the same pattern in weeks to come. I think that will make falling into a routine a lot easier. Getting started with the Un-Textbook was fun and I’m looking forward to continuing my exploration of Ovid in Week 3.

I also enjoyed brainstorming storybook ideas. There are so many options! Whenever there are pages upon pages of stories to consider, everything seems a little daunting, but I’m sure I’ll narrow my scope week by week, slowly but surely. Hopefully, I can settle on a theme that I’ll be happy with without changing my mind too many times. I’m a pretty indecisive person, so this might be difficult for me, but I think it’ll be okay. I’ll work it out.

Again, I enjoyed reading other students’ assignments and posts this week. I liked that you switched the group comment assignments because this gave me a chance to “meet” some of the other students in the class and explore their blogs and writing styles. It’s really interesting to read the introductions people have written. I think that through these introduction, I have a lot better grasp on some of the people in this online class – their interests, their collegiate lives, etc. – than I do on most of the people in my on-campus classes!

I am so looking forward to the long weekend (4 days long for me, since I don’t have class on Fridays!) even though I probably won’t do much with myself. I know it’s the last weekend I’ll have off of work for a while, so I’m not going to let myself feel guilty about lounging around.

(Oklahoma City and the Devon Boathouse area, near where I work, Flickr.com)

Essay Week 2: Reviewing Ovid I

Because this week was the first week we used the Un-Textbook, I was a little shaky on everything. At first, I couldn’t decide what unit to select. I wanted to try to create some sort of order or connection between my readings, but I abandoned that idea quickly and decided to go for whatever sounded good to me at the time. I’m not sure if this will necessarily help me in the long run, but I don’t think it’ll hurt me either.

First of all, I think the Un-Textbook is really cool. It’s awesome that you’ve taken the time to assemble something with so much variety and I like to think it's a resource I’ll use even after I’m finished with this class. It feels very personalized, which I like, and we didn’t have to pay for it, which I like even more!

The unit I selected was Ovid’s Metamorphoses I. I enjoyed these readings. After I sat down and focused, I was able to knock all of the readings and the reading journals out in a couple of hours. To be honest, I was a little overwhelmed at first, but length turned out to not be an issue for me at all. I liked most of the stories, but I was also familiar with most of the stories in some capacity.

I thought the notes at the beginning of each story were really helpful. I don’t think any additional background information would be necessary to understand the readings, but some type of name chart or family tree might help to keep things straight. Some of the stories use multiple names for the same character, but thankfully you pointed this out in your notes at the beginning in most cases.

I liked this unit and thought the description of it was straightforward. I also liked that it was several stories making up one unit, as opposed to one long reading taking up an entire unit. Personally, I find it easier to focus on readings if they’re broken up more like that.

(A depiction of Ovid, Wikimedia Commons)

Storytelling for Week 2: Semele

The house lights came up and the crowd began to roar. Everybody in the audience was ready for some good, old-fashioned paternity test drama. The Jerry Springer show played out in nearly the same way episode after episode, but viewers and audience members didn’t seem to care. They continually ate all the nonsense and craziness up.

Jerry Springer, the host of the esteemed television show, walked out and gave an opening monologue much like the one he’d given the day before. “Hello ladies and gentlemen!” he said. “Today, we have with us Juno, who claims that there is no way that her husband of many years, Jupiter, is the baby daddy to another woman!”

With this, all sorts of hoots and hollers erupted from the crowd. After giving the people a moment to get it out of their systems, Jerry quieted the audience down and turned to Juno, who was seated on stage with him. “Juno,” Jerry offered, “Tell us your story.”

Juno proceeded to explain her marriage with Jupiter. After some questioning, Juno did admit that her husband had a bit of a wandering eye. “Even though I know he looks at other women, he loves me! The thought that he could be the father of Semele’s child infuriates me. It makes me sick! He is much too powerful and good for someone like her! He’s completely out of her league. I came here today to get some answers and shut her up about the whole thing, once and for all!” Juno said, rising from her seat in a fit of rage.

With that, Jerry invited out Semele. The crowd booed. “So, Semele,” Jerry began, “You’re very pregnant. There’s no questioning that fact, but what we can question here is who that father of this child is.” The crowd started a baby daddy chant which neither Juno or Semele seemed amused by. “Jupiter is the father,” Semele insisted. “I’ve come here today to set this straight.”

Juno sighed dramatically from her chair across the stage. “Do you know how many men claim to be something they’re not? Who wouldn’t claim to be Jupiter?” she asked, her tone filled with contempt. “Men will say whatever they need to say to get what they want, and I’ve very suspicious of this whole thing. It’s not good enough for him merely to say he is Jupiter, we must have proof of this!” exclaimed Juno. 

By this point, the audience was out of control. A crew member walked out and handed Jerry an envelope with paternity test results. “In this case,” Jerry began dramatically, “Jupiter…IS the father!” Semele had asked for proof and now she had received it, but this news was more than her body could handle. All of the excitement sent her into delirium, which led to her having a stroke and dying an unfortunate and untimely death.

(Talk show audience, Wikimedia Commons)

Author's Note: I chose to base my retelling on Ovid's story of Semele. In the original, Juno is furious that her husband Jupiter has impregnated Semele. To get back at Semele, she disguises herself, goes to Semele, and convinces Semele that she must ask for Jupiter to unleash his powers on her to prove that he is really what he says he is. When Semele asks Jupiter to do this, he obliges, but his godly powers are much too powerful for her to withstand and she dies. Basically, the whole story is about jealously, possible mistaken identity, and possible paternity issues. This made me think of the Jerry Springer Show (my greatest guilty pleasure in life) right off the bat. I didn't really know how to kill of Semele in my retelling, but I decided that it was only right that the proof she asked for was the thing that killed her.

Bibliography:

Book: Metamorphoses 

Author: Tony Kline (Translated Ovid's original into english)

Year Published: 2000

Web Source: Ovid's Metamorphoses

Week 2 Reading Diary: Ovid I

Week 2: Ovid I
For this reading diary, I have decided to make some quick notes about each story contained in the reading. I will go through them in the given order.                                                                          


Deucalion and Pyrrha 
This reading started out with a flood/creation story like those that occur in many cultures. There are only two survivors of this all-consuming flood, one male and one female, the two for whom this story is named. One of the quote that struck me from this story is as follows:

"How would you feel now, poor soul, if the fates had willed you to be saved, but not me? How could you endure your fear alone? Who would comfort your tears? Believe me, dear wife, if the sea had you, I would follow you, and the sea would have me too. If only I, by my father’s arts, could recreate earth’s peoples, and breathe life into the shaping clay! The human race remains in us. The gods willed it that we are the only examples of mankind left behind."

Io
In this story, poor Io had more than her fair share of trouble. She was raped and then turned into a heifer by Jupiter, but she is still clever enough (and human enough) to use language to spell out her situation to her father. In the end, she is returned to being a human. I found the side story about Argus and his hundreds of eyes to be interesting as well. It made me wonder if he served another purpose in other Greek myths.

Phaethon and the Sun
The family lineage got a little hard to follow for me. I kept referring to the notes at the top to keep straight who was supposed to be related to/descended from one another. I really liked the description of the fantastic Palace of the Sun. I also thought the personification of the seasons was interesting:

"Young Spring stood there circled with a crown of flowers, naked Summer wore a garland of ears of corn, Autumn was stained by the trodden grapes, and icy Winter had white, bristling hair."

It seems like it's going to be difficult for Phaethon to find success, but it also seems like he's not going to back down from his request.

Phaethon's Ride
Here, Phaethon gets his wish and is able to take the chariot out, even though he has been repeatedly told of all the things that could go wrong along the way. Phaethon is unexperienced and he loses control, allowing the horses to run free. This causes a lot of destruction. The sky was burning, and the Earth burned too.

The Death of Phaethon
As the title suggests, Phaethon dies in this part. I found it difficult to feel sorry for him because he was told what he would be getting himself into and he foolishly thought he would be able to handle that. Again, there is a lot going on with family connections and I had to look over some parts more than once to establish what was really going on. I also didn't really understand what the purpose of the sisters turning into trees was supposed to be. At least the horses were recaptured.

Callisto
This story frustrated me because Juno turned her rage toward Callisto and her child instead of turning her rage toward Jupiter, who was actually the only one guilty of doing anything wrong. Callisto is essentially punished (turned into a bear) for something she didn't do and wanted no part of. It's really sad at the end because her own son is about to kill her, but Jupiter does probably one of the only decent things he's ever done and stops that from happening. Mother and son are turned into constellations.

Semele
Again, Juno avoids the source of the problems and acts out against the innocent party, in this case, Semele. Juno tricks Semele into wishing to feel all of Jupiter's power, something she is ultimately unable to survive. The ending of this story was pretty bizarre. Semele's child was torn from her womb and "sewn into his father’s thigh to complete his full term". Yikes.

Echo
The concept of being born twice, as Bacchus was, still seems pretty ridiculous. Somehow, he seemed to turn out alright. The story of Echo and Narcissus begins in this story. I'm pretty familiar with this story, but I think it's a really interesting one.

Narcissus
Narcissus felt he was too good for all those that yearned for him. When he saw himself for the first time, these suspicions were only confirmed. It's strange to think of the idea of unrequited love as being in love with your own being. In the end, Narcissus can no long move forward with his life in this state and wishes for his own death:

"Now sadness takes away my strength, not much time is left for me to live, and I am cut off in the prime of youth. Nor is dying painful to me, laying down my sadness in death. I wish that him I love might live on, but now we shall die united, two in one spirit."

He dies and is transformed into a flower.

Pyramus and Thisbe
As stated in the notes, this story reminded me a lot of Romeo and Juliet. It's super sad. They were kept apart, so they went to great extremes to meet. Neither one of them had to die, but Pyramus was blinded by love and acted hastily and in the end they both ended up killing themselves.

Mars and Venus
This was a very short story and not a lot happened in it. Basically, Vulcan captures his cheating wife and her lover in a metal net he crafted and makes them the laughing stock of the community.

Perseus and Andromeda
Perseus just seems like an all-around good guy. He is accomplishing feat after feat. He has already killed Medusa, a task considered impossible by many, and now he's about to rescue a princess from a sea monster. He has a pretty exciting life. Also, he can fly around on his shoes, which is a pretty cool thing to be able to do.

Perseus and Medusa
To nobody's surprise, Perseus is able to defeat the sea monster and save Andromeda. After the battle, Andromeda and Perseus are married. At the wedding feast, Perseus outlines his battle with Medusa because everybody there can't get enough of him and how great he is. I think Medusa is an interesting character and her story is a complex one. Even though she's portrayed as a villain, she wasn't always that way, nor did she necessarily make herself into that.

YouTube Tech Tip

I have a long list of favorite YouTube videos, and this video, Summertime is Great by Three Beat Slide, is definitely one of them. I wouldn't say it was the anthem of my summer, but I did burn it on a CD to have in my car, so...

Summertime IS great. Thanks, Three Beat Slide!

Famous Last Words Week 1

I know this class will be something I’ll really have to work to stay on top of, but I’ve enjoyed the first week and I think I’ll enjoy all the weeks to come! I think one strategy that works for me on assignments like the ones we’ve had this week is to not overthink things. On the first couple assignments, I was going way over the predicted time limit because I am often a perfectionist and I always want to make sure I’m putting my best ideas out there. However, I think in a class like this, the open structure favors creativity more than something that is completely overthought. Applying this strategy will save me time and stress, so I’m going to try to believe in my ideas and not second guess everything.

I really enjoyed reading other students’ assignments and posts this week. Reading the introductions of other people enrolled in this class made it seem more like a tangible, actual class. It was nice to realize that there are other real students going this class. This is the first online class I have ever taken, so it seemed a bit strange to me at first, but I think I’m getting a more concrete grasp on things.

My other classes should be alright. The first week is always hectic and I’m going out later this afternoon to buy textbooks. I’m not looking forward to that at all and I really appreciate the fact that I won't have to purchase a textbook for this class! I’m enrolled in 17 hours this semester, so things will be interesting, but I know I’m capable of handling it!

I’ll leave you all with a quick recommendation. Last night, I watched Bottle Rocket, the first film that Wes Anderson directed. I’m a big fan of Wes Anderson’s work and aesthetic, so I enjoyed Bottle Rocket. The plot was ridiculous at times, as can be expected from Wes Anderson. Owen and Luke Wilson star and both of them look super young. I’d recommend checking it out if you’re looking for something to watch (because we all have so much free time now that school is back in session, right?)

(Director Wes Anderson, Wikimedia Commons)

Week 1 Storybook Favorites

I started off selecting storybooks to explore by title alone, then I examined the actual premise of the storybooks by viewing the cover page and the introduction. There was a huge variety of storybooks on the list provided, and I appreciated all of the different, creative ideas past students used to create their projects!

I was super excited when I found a storybook titled Oscar Wilde’s Tales. I love Oscar Wilde’s writing style (and style in general) and The Picture of Dorian Gray has been one of my favorite books from the moment I picked it up and finished it in one night in high school. I felt that the layout of this storybook could have been better. I hated the font and it almost stopped me from reading this storybook. I didn’t necessarily love the route this student took on the introduction either. I felt writing the introduction as Oscar Wilde was a little bit bizarre and uneffective. However, I thought the student did a good job with the condensing/retelling of Oscar Wilde, and I think that’s what matters most.

Next, I decided to look at True Urban Legends: Retold. I’ve always been fascinated by the macabre and mystical, so stories based on urban legends appealed to me. I thought the premise seemed nice and the introduction made it very clear how the stories were going to be presented and what types of things the stories were going to be about. I thought the page design could have been a little darker, but that didn’t detract from the storybook in my opinion. The retellings were not the kind of urban legends I had hoped for, but I still felt they were well done.

Lastly, I explored Women in White: Legends of the Haunted Hitchhikers. I selected this one for the same reasons I selected my previous choice. I had a feeling maybe this one would have a bit more of the spooky element I was hoping for, and I was proven right. The introduction spurred my interest, so I continued on. I thought the choice to lay the stories out as case files was a clever one. The retellings were enjoyable, and I thought this student produced a solid project.

Week 1 Introduction

Hello! My name is Melanie Krcilek and I'm a public relations junior at the University of Oklahoma. I’m originally from Lafayette, Indiana, and at home, I live about 15 minutes away from Purdue University. Unfortunately, that means I’m about a 13 hour drive from Norman. I came to OU in the first place because I thought I wanted to pursue a degree in broadcast meteorology. However, after one semester, I could tell that wasn’t for me. I wanted to stay within the journalism college, and after some indecisiveness, I decided on public relations. So far, so good as far as that goes.

Along with this online class, I’m taking five on-campus classes, so I know I’ll have a lot going on this semester. Somehow I managed to work my schedule out in a way that allowed me to have Fridays off, which I’m pretty excited about. I don’t have any terribly early classes this semester either, so I really can’t complain.

This summer was a pretty eventful one for me. I returned to my job at home at Moe’s Southwest Grill, which is pretty much (in my opinion) a better version of Chipotle/Qdoba. Sadly, the only Moe’s remotely near here in the airport, so I don’t get to have it much while I’m a school. I miss it already. I did a lot of caterings for Moe’s this summer, and I enjoyed that a lot. 

In addition to working, I celebrated a lot of birthdays this summer. My little (and only) sister turned 18, my mother turned 50, and I turned 21. We all thought it was pretty exciting that these monumental birthdays were happening in the same summer. I took my mom to see Billy Joel in concert at Wrigley Field for her birthday. He put on an incredible show and we both really enjoyed it. For my birthday, I went skydiving. It was a cool experience and one I encourage everybody to try if they’re even remotely interested in doing so.

I also did a lot of typical summer activities, such as going to an amusement park, tie dying, eating watermelon, etc. ☺

(Image Information: personal photo of me above the clouds while skydiving, photo from July 2014.)

Week 1: Un-Textbook Choices

My strategy when selecting units was just to pick what seemed most interesting to me. I didn't really try to group things thematically. I know having notes would be beneficial to me, so the notes (or lack thereof) swayed me on a couple of my choices.

Week 2: Ovid I

I selected Ovid I because I find Greek mythology interesting and I have had some exposure to it already. I thought the stories contained in Ovid I seemed like they would be fun to read.

Week 3: Ovid II

I selected Ovid II as a continuation of Ovid I. The same previously stated reasons led me to this decision.

Week 4: Persian Fairy Tales

A lot of the Middle Eastern fairy tales sounded appealing to me, but the Persian ones had notes available.

Week 5: Twenty-Two Goblins

The summary sold me on this one because it talked about goblins and a king which made me think of Labyrinth, one of my favorite movies.

Week 1 Storytelling: The Eagle and the Kite

            Eagles are supposed to be powerful. Eagles are supposed to be symbols of majesty. Eagles shouldn't feel depressed and lonely. But on this day, Eagle was feeling pretty down in the dumps. Lately, Eagle had been yearning for something more in her life.

            From her perch high above the forest, she could see all the creatures below going about their daily lives. She could see the mama bears lovingly teaching their children how to fish. She could see raccoons happily cuddled together in their hollows. All of the other animals had company, it seemed. All of the other animals had love in their lives.
            For as long as she could remember, Eagle had been a solitary creature. She equated strength with independence, and she never turned to anybody for anything. However, something in her had changed and she was growing tired of living in that manner.
            Other birds were intimidated by Eagle because she was so strong and independent. Because of this, Eagle felt like she didn’t have many options. When Kite came along, he honed in on Eagle’s desperation immediately. He knew Eagle was out of his league, but in a moment of weakness, he figured she might just be hopeless enough to give him a chance.
            “Why do you look so woebegone?" asked Kite. Eagle explained her situation to him and was taken aback when Kite himself offered to marry her. Not only did Kite suggest marriage, he promised Eagle that his strength would allow him to easily provide for the both of them. He boasted that he would be able to carry off an ostrich as if it weighed nothing more than a feather.
            Eagle thought her lucky day had finally come along. She married Kite immediately. The two had a beautiful wedding and things seemed to be looking up for Eagle. However, Eagle had been too eager and too naive. After the wedding, the façade came crashing down. When Kite went out to fetch a celebratory meal for his bride, all he brought back was a tiny mouse. 

            "Is that the Ostrich you talked about?" asked Eagle in disgust. "To win you, I would have said and promised anything," replied Kite. Eagle could not believe Kite. Even more so, Eagle could not believe herself. How had she been so foolish? Her longing for love had blinded her and she vowed that she would never let that happen again.
            Eagle reverted to the solitude she knew so well. Not only was she alone; her short-lived marriage to Kite had made her bitter as well. She no longer got warm feelings watching families of creatures below her. She spurned love and companionship.
            Years passed and little changed in the life of Eagle. All of the other animals knew the state that Eagle was in, but none of them understood why. One night, Falcon flew up to her tree. Falcon was an honest, hardworking bird who had admired Eagle for several years. Falcon knew that he and Eagle were both aging. He figured they might as well spend their golden years together. Feeling like he had nothing to lose, he approached Eagle with the best intentions.

            “Eagle,” he said, “you don’t have to be alone, you know.” Eagle said nothing. “You aren’t as young as you used to be and hunting is not as easy as it once was for either of us,” Falcon continued. “Let’s help each other. Nothing but good will come of a partnership between us. I’ve admired you for years, and I think we could have a great life together.”
            Eagle scoffed. “Don’t waste your breath,” she said. “I’ve survived this long on my own and I have no plans to change that.”
            Falcon respected her wishes and left her tree with a heavy heart. He had been nothing but genuine to her, why couldn’t she see that? After turning away someone who would have truly cared for her, Eagle lived the rest of her days alone.
                                    

(Kite sculpture at Llanwrtyd Wells in Wales, Wikimedia Commons)

Author's Note: This story is based on The Eagle and the Kite, an Aesop fable where the moral of the story is that all is fair in love. The original ends with the Kite telling the Eagle that he would have done anything to win her over. I decided to continue the story for my retelling and I also chose to reshape the moral into more of a 'once bitten, twice shy' thing.

Bibliography:

Book: Aesop for Children witth illustrations by Milo Winter

Author: Aesop

Year Published: 1919

Web Source: The Project Gutenberg

Blogger Templates Tech Tip

I decided to change my template to make my page more visually interesting. I didn't want anything too busy, but I found the Ethereal theme to be just enough embellishment. I have never blogged before, but the Blogger format seems pretty straightforward, and I like that.

Week 1: Favorite Place

One of my favorite places has always been Lake Michigan. When you live in the Midwest, seeing any body of water is usually exciting. I have relatives who live 15 minutes away from the Michigan side of Lake Michigan and I remember spending lots of time there in summers past. I've also made my fair share of trips to the Illinois side of Lake Michigan and Chicago specifically. All of my memories are good memories and I still look forward to every visit to the beautiful Lake Michigan.

(Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline: Wikimedia Commons)

First post!

Posting here to get a feel for Blogger!