What does the Music, that comes from the Old Main Tower, say about Augustana?

                      

How would you like to walk out of your dorm and hear something popular--such as "Centuries" by Fall Out Boy, or "It's Time" by Imagine Dragons--as you casually stroll down the sidewalk to your first class instead of listening to the same old traditional hymns over and over and over and...?  (I think you get the idea!)

 Let's be completely honest my fellow college classmates, the songs or tunes that come from the Old Main Tower don't necessarily reflect our particular generation.  In fact they represent the life that still lingers out there and captures the spirits of the original Augustana College instead of connecting with her fellow classmates.  The tunes that can be heard reflect upon the religious aspect of Augustana College--the starting point.  Don't get me wrong, these tunes do provide a relaxing comfort while walking from building to building or class to class:  It's almost as if God is there with you; comforting your every step and removing the heavy stress that lies on your shoulders.  But I do believe that change is in the air!

After several visits to Iowa State University, I found it extremely interesting that their main bell tower is programmed to play "popular" music of the time.  Now by popular, I mean those songs that could be heard anywhere you go whether it's from the 80s, 90s or 2000s.  While walking through the campus of Iowa State University, I became a witness to how powerful music can be to several thousand students.  Some of the students were singing along with the melody being played, others were dancing their way to their next destination, and others were even stopping and recording the song that was being played and sharing it on social media.  Not to be mean or anything, very rarely do I see individuals singing along or dancing with or praising the hymn that plays throughout campus.

For those of you who are in favor of listening to these hymns everyday, over and over again, there is nothing wrong with that especially if you are very strong in your faith.  I would say that I am strong in my faith and religion and that I personally enjoy listening to Christian contemporary music or Christian hymns, but once in awhile it's nice to listen to something outside of the everyday norm.  Once in awhile, hearing those hymns does provide me with motivation and guidance, but instead of something soothing and predictable to give me that motivation, it would be nice to hear something that really gets my blood flowing.  Would you rather be walking and singing to "Another one Bites the Dust" or "How Great Thou Art" as you find your way to class?

So what does the music, that comes from the Old Main Tower, say about Augustana College--our school?  The music suggests that our school carries a religious background, religious course offerings, religion and contemporary thinking, and that it focuses on the spiritual aspect and motivation that is perceived through Christ to produce well rounded, well educated individuals who are mentally and physically ready for the life awaiting them outside the "Augie Bubble."  To many, the religious music that comes from the Old Main Tower is an iconic characteristic of Augustana College that sets us apart from other schools.  Others will say that you don't have to always play religious music to show people that you are religious.  It's time for a change!

So wouldn't it be nice if you heard something different playing through the campus air? It's time for Augustana College to take it to the next level of connecting with its students.  Everybody needs their own form of motivation; whether it's Queen, Fall Out Boy, Imagine Dragons, Justin (What's his face?) Bieber, or the traditional words of God.  Once in awhile, we all have to step out of our comfort zone and try something different and now is the time for Augustana College to make a change, connect with its new generation, and spice the lives up of its students.  Say good-bye to the old age and welcome in the new age!!

Images:
1.) http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/music-notes-7544001.jpg
2.) http://www.rigov.org/images/pages/N1037/7AV_3600.jpg
3.) http://www.tumblr18.com/t18/2013/10/Back-to-high-school-cheerful-students.jpg
4.) http://sd.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/i/keep-calm-and-welcome-to-the-new-age.png

Wait a minute... you aren't me. Are you?

Okay, let's face it, I would consider myself to be in the loop when it comes to having or being apart of the new technology crave, but when it comes to being noticed on these new craves--such as Facebook, Twitter, or even just simply Google--I seize to exist; unless you count the other several identities or e-dentities of the other Daniel Skeltons of the world.

When I Facebooked my name, I was pretty worried about what was going to appear.  But it turns out that my own profile wasn't the first suggestion to pop-up even though I was searching myself while being logged-in to my personal account.  According to Facebook, Daniel Skelton enjoys listening to David Guetta, Axwell, and Steve Angello while he reads "All these Goat Pages," "Naming your Son Jesus," and "50 Sheds of Hay."  Personally, I don't know who would want to read "50 Sheds of Hay," but it sounds just as dirty as the original "50 Shades of Gray."  Besides liking books and music, apparently Daniel is a huge soccer fan, baseball fanatic, and as an interest in cricket all while being Australian.  Although that Daniel Skelton sounds pretty interesting--but yet questionable--that e-dentity--someone's online profile and identity--doesn't quite send the right message to who I am online.  Sorry unknown Facebook Daniel Skelton, but you aren't me.

Stepping away from the narrow search of Facebook, I decided to use Google's Search Engine to find who I really am online.  Yeah, that wasn't very promising either!  When I typed Daniel Skelton into the search bar of Google, something very interesting and strange appeared.  Images of a shirtless, muscular, teenage looking male covered my screen appearing not just by himself or with another shirtless male, but with four other shirtless, muscular, teenage looking males.  (Sorry ladies, I don't actually look like that!)  I personally don't know how to take this information.  Not only does this Daniel Skelton appear to be a male model, but he is also an actor.  He has starred in "Eating Out: All You Can Eat (2009)", Eating Out: Drama Camp (2011)," and Eating Out: The Open Weekend (2011)."  The covers of all these movies appear to be sexual and very questionable when it comes to presentation and one's gender identity in society and online.  Again, this Daniel Skelton does not accurately represent the kind of person I am online or in person.  Quite frankly, this Daniel Skelton kind of scares me and makes me question my own identity.

Although these individuals share my name, they do not accurately depict the kind of person I am online.  When or if you find me online, you will notice that my e-dentity is mostly focused on pictures/images that tell about my interests, family, friends, and life outside of school.

 Through Facebook, you can truly find out my e-dentity but checking out my interests--such as musical interests, events that I have attended or are apart of, and places that I have gone.  Believe it or not, non of my interests involve modeling or dealing with goats!

 Besides my many interests, my e-dentity portrays me as a family guy who enjoys sharing pictures of my parents, brothers, sister, nephews, and of course my dog, Jackson, and my bird, Charlie.  By providing images of my family, my e-dentity shows that it wouldn't exist without them willing to smile for the camera.



If it's not my family smiling for the camera, it is definitely my friends; more specifically my girlfriend.  My e-dentity suggests that I am obsessed with her, but I suggest that I just like being with her! She probably makes up about over half of the images that appear on my Facebook page.  If it's not my family appearing in pictures, it is definitely her or something music based.

Although our e-dentity's are something that describes us to the rest of the world, sometimes who we appear to be online  doesn't accurately depict the kind of person we actually are.  Having an e-dentity can be a positive way to connect with those who you normally don't get to see, but for those that you get the chance to see in person, your e-dentity is just a great way to waste time and leave ridiculous comments that make you feel grateful for having a separate life online. 

Real Life On Television?

For those of you who think that today's reality television shows are lacking in the substance of real life and real meaning, you haven't taken the time to change the channel from the "popular" shows to the more serious shows such as "A to Z" or "Parenthood."  Although "A to Z" is a show that most couples can find themselves relating to whether it's communication skills or trust, the hit NBC television show "Parenthood" presents the real life struggles of an average family as they go about living their separate lives while still being grounded to their family roots.  Even though we, as college students, may not have a family of our own, we all come from a family that either has been through or is going through struggles that seem unreal and unexplainable.  Because of these similarities, this show has the power to get into your mind and cause you to consider the certain aspects of the faces of oppression.

http://tv-community-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/a7093e4ff7544d3b9b12504486be7a39.jpg

Within this show the family experiences an unexpected pregnancy of a daughter, two divorces--one in which the female has been through many boyfriends and the other is working on mending their relationship--a couple that has a son with Aspergers, a racially mixed marriage, and a father/grandfather who experiences multiple heart problems that have caused the family to live on edge about what the future has in store for them.  Although some of these conflicts or issues may seem a little extreme, these conflicts let the viewing audience know that the family in the show isn't perfect.  But at the same time, what is the likelihood that all these issues would take place at the same time.  Don't get me wrong, it could be possible.  But what is the likelihood?

"Parenthood" is an excellent example of fake reality when it comes to living within reality.  The issues that they are going through are actual everyday problems that everyday people experience which is why its audience is so drawn to the drama of the show.  The family does such a good job at acting like they don't know that all this was coming which allows that audience to feel sorry for them.  (Them as in the make-believe family that is supposed to resemble an average family in America.)  Don't get me wrong, I believe I come from an average American family: But what exactly is an average family?  How do they act?  What do they do? 

This particular show sets up a subliminal message to its viewers that projects the image of what an average American family looks like and how they behave.  So in order to be average, a family has to go through all these issues, right?  What is the family if these issues never arise?  Ultimately, although I love watching this show, this show should be more aware of the kind of oppressions it is creating between what the viewing audience is seeing and how they are interpreting what they are seeing. 

http://www.nbc.com/sites/nbcunbc/files/files/images/2014/9/16/Phood_S6_DDKA_horz.jpg

For example, the oppression of powerlessness is shown through the families ability to only focus on themselves.  Over the past six seasons of this show, not once has the family encountered a lesser family either because the writer never thought about that or the family is supposed to resemble the fact that when things go wrong, everyone should turn their focus towards you and forget their own level of power within the same community.  Along those same lines, the show encounters another level of oppression when it comes to cultural imperialism.  The more viewers this show obtains, the more reality starts to sink in for those viewers.  The fake reality that is seen on television not only impacts the way that we see ourselves, but it impacts our cultural.  It seems as if when something goes wrong in a family everyone has to know about it.  Why is that?  What ever happened to being scared of telling other people the faults in your family?  Just because a created family on television does it, doesn't make it culturally acceptable for everyone else. 

Even though the show "Parenthood" presents multiple problems when it comes to actual reality and its image of an average American family, it still has received many positive comments that have to deal with the fact that although one may be faced with unexplainable circumstances, there is always an alternate path that leads to a happy ending.  And after watching it for six seasons, I believe there must be some truth to what a family actual is. 

Why, Kant? Why Freedom of Speech?

     In his text, What is Enlightenment?, Immanuel Kant expresses his feelings and obligations to the act of freedom of speech by providing his readers with examples of who, when, where, and how one is to properly express his feelings and opinions in society.  Although he illustrates great examples throughout this text, the one example that he seems to be of emphasis is this relationship between the freedoms of speech for Ministers.  In his text he questions the idea of unalterable doctrines when he states, “But should a society of ministers, say a Church Council…have the right to commit itself by oath to certain unalterable doctrines, in order to secure perpetual guardianship over all its members…?” (Kant).  Shouldn’t people be allowed to express their freedom of religion or any other act of freedom without the penalties set forth by doctrines?  To some extreme, there will have to be repercussions for one’s actions, but to punish them for not directly “preaching” the written rule is taking it to the extreme, which is why, to some extent, I believe that individuals should have the right to express their feelings to any audience that they choose.  But at the same time, the one preaching will have to live with the consequences if he/she preaches to the wrong crowd.

   I understand what Kant is trying to relay to his readers about how the doctrines set forth by the Church Council, for the minister to preach to his congregation, should provide a positive message for those listening and should remain unalterable in the name of Christ.  However, what Christ has provided should be the lessons and messages that ought to be presented in the church, which is a point Kant favors in this particular text and is a point that, when choosing to argue, is non-negotiable to the Christian Followers of this time and possibly during his time.  Being raised in a Christian household and basically a Christian nation, it is hard to argue against the beliefs, morals, and views of Christ considering that I, personally, wasn’t around during his physical existence and I wasn’t raised in a “pure” Christian society.  I am being raised within a society that thrives on opinions and drinks from the same cup of questioning authority.  There is no need to question that existence or rules set forth by the unalterable doctrines if you weren’t personally involved in creating them.

  On the other side of things, if I did choose to argue against Kant’s views and say that I believe that a minister has the right to preach to his congregation about whatever his heart or mind questions—the power of love, the relationship between politics and religion, is the existence of Christ real, etc.—I wouldn’t be able to provide a valid argument because I was not alive during his time period (late 1700s) and I didn’t experience the same experiences that he did, which may have caused him to think this way.  I do not have the necessary information or method in making a valid argument.  If this were an argument of war, I would probably find myself surrendering to the beliefs of Kant: I would lose in heartbeat.  I would be proven wrong because of what I know versus what he knew. 

   I want to be able to follow in the beliefs of Kant, but I have this feeling that we will be doing more arguing than compromising when it comes to his views of freedom of speech and my views of freedom of speech. We were born in different time periods and were raised on different morals and values. There is no way that I will be right when arguing with him during his life and there is no way that he can be right if we were to argue in the present time.  Either way, by losing and being proven wrong or by simply walking away from this argument, I will only come away with more knowledge rather than a victory.  To some extent, questioning Kant is like questioning the doctrines of freedom of speech--in order to be proven right one must be involved in the current times and get involved in the progressing situation before one can question the written rules of the established law.  So now you can ask yourself, why is freedom of speech so universal and why is one always wrong in an argument centered around freedom of speech? Why, Kant? Why?

Kant, Immanuel. Immanuel Kant: What is Enlightenment?, 1784 (n.d.): n. pag. Allmen de Berln.     
     Web. 11 Dec. 2014

8 Ways to Enjoy a Perfect Winter Day

                                                 

Do you ever find yourself wondering how to enjoy a winter day?  What should you do?  How should you pass the time without completely over doing the season of winter?  Well today is your lucky day! In front of you are eight, very spectacular, ways to turn your gloomy, cold, miserable winter day into a bright, warm, packed with fun winter extravaganza kind of day!

1. "Oh the weather outside is frightful."
Whoever said you had to be outside to enjoy the winter weather was never introduced to hot chocolate and a warm cozy fire that fills the room with smells of wood and the sounds of crackling embers that coat the room with a faint glow.  By being able to just relax and enjoy the essence of a fire and a warm cup of hot chocolate can really turn your gloomy winter day into a perfect day well spent!
                                                     

2. Netflix? What Netflix?
Besides from the cozy fire and warm hot chocolate, the idea of Netflix usually has this inevitable power to turn your gloomy day into a day that seems to have you wanting more; more as in winter and Netflix.  So when winter comes around, it's never to late to satisfy your fix for a Netflix binge.
                                                           

3. "Do you want to build a snowman?"
Although there are plenty of things to do in the house on a winter day, the best thing you could do is an american staple; build a snowman.  Fires are nice, but building a snowman that has a carrot nose, two coal eyes, a coal smile, and a buttons down the middle is a snowman that resembles that memories that are made while playing in the snow.
                                                    

4. Aim. Throw. RUN!
What's winter without the traditional snowball fight? Sure it can get dangerous at times and competitive, but once you begin to feel the adrenaline rush through your body as you run from hiding spot to hiding spot to dodging and ducking out of the way of friendly fire there is no turning back to the life inside.  You are in it for the long run, now!
                                                 

5. The Perfect Snow Angel
Is it possible to create a perfect snow angel--an angel that does not have any hand-prints or foot-prints?  How would you know if you stayed inside?  Once the snow begins to fall and accumulate, the appropriate time to create that perfect snow angle has presented itself.  So get out there and enjoy the challenge of creating the perfect snow angel!
                                                     

6. Ready. Set. GO!!
Once you find the perfect hill, there is no turning back from what awaits your next adventure. As soon as you sit on your sled and give a little a push, your little push soon begins to increase in speed as you go racing down this hill of terror until you finally come to a halt in the powdery snow.  The thrill and feel of numbness across your face illustrates the true fun of being outside in the winter.
                                                   

7. Welcome Home!
Welcome home?  When winter rolls around and you are out in the open with only piles of snow everywhere and nothing to protect you from the fierce wind, what are you to do?  Well, the idea of fort building is certainly an answer and an awesome way to spend your winter day.  Who knows, your winter fort could become your home if you find yourself spending more time in there rather than in your own house.  It could be the new hangout spot for you and your friends!
                                           

8. "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"
When your winter day comes to an end and night closes the evening, the only true way to show how much you appreciated the winter day is to pray for more snow (depending if you want it or not).
                                                   

Whether your winter day is spent inside or outside, there are countless examples of how to turn your gloomy, cold, miserable, and snowy winter day into the best time of your life.  You just have to think outside your age and away from the fire to be creative.


-http://heartsincobscookbay.blogspot.com/2011_01_01_archive.html
1. http://pragmaticobotsunite.com/thursday-open-thread-the-politics-of-african-american-hair/
2. http://www.agirlnamedpj.com/winter-tv-binge-watching/
3. http://veryfrances.tumblr.com/post/73827633545/do-you-want-to-build-a-snowman-conyo-version
4. http://www.sodahead.com/fun/instead-of-fighting-with-words-today-lets-have-a-snowball-          fightlets-have-some-fun-around-her/question-4098995/?page=2
5. http://www.nativitycedarcroft.org/?p=500
6. http://www.clipartreview.com/pages/101204-156619-940009.html
7. http://unrealitymag.com/index.php/2012/01/16/a-collection-of-15-awesome-snow-forts/
8. http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/p/keep-calm-and-pray-for-snow-42/

You pay what for a haircut?

 

 

From the website guff.com, the authors have set up a wonderful selection of images that portray how men and women are set apart from each other through their normal rituals.  But the authors' arguments can sometimes come off as being more offensive to the female rather than the male because of what the images are saying.  Some of the pictures refer to the differences of how men make dinner compared to how women make dinner or what's on the mind of male--sex--versus the mind of a female--need for commitment--or even the difference of how men and women view chivalry.  But the picture that seems most fitting to our generation, is the image that basically shows the difference between a man's haircut versus a woman's haircut.

 

 In the above picture, the argument of a man's haircut and a woman's haircut is the target for conversation.  In the picture, the man is seen, before his haircut, as having a full head of hair and then fifteen dollars later comes out looking all cleaned saved and having only a fourth of the hair he had before his haircut.  On the other hand, the woman pays $275 for a haircut that seems as if didn't change her previous hair whatsoever.  So you may be asking, "What haircut?"  To a woman, $275 may seem like a lot of money, but is definitely worth it when she gets noticed by the opposite sex and feels good about herself.  For a guy, a haircut is a haircut; fifteen dollars or less is perfect and doesn't hurt the bank.  (Which is probably why I have been getting the same type of haircut for the past nine years.)  Instead of spending almost $300 to feel good about ourselves, a fifteen dollar haircut to feel good about himself seems like a better idea.  He may feel good about himself, but does he look good?

 

Although this pictures argues that men will spend less to see a bigger difference in their hair style versus women who pay more to not see a difference at all, this picture also sets up the argument about who gets more than a haircut when they go get a haircut.  For example, my mom will have a haircut appointment at 9:00am and won't come home until 12:00pm.  Within those three hours, she gets her hair colored, trimmed, cut, shampooed, curled, straightened, and gets hot tea on the side.  Now when I or my father receive a haircut, we set up an appointment at 9:00am and we are home by 9:30am.  We don't have our hair shampooed, curled, or straightened while we are served hot tea, but instead we get our hair cut and trimmed with maybe the possibility of a shave.  So yes, in essence, the female haircut should be more expensive than a guys, but there should be a physical difference that us guys should be able to notice without being questioned by the female when she says, "Do you like it?" 

 

No matter how you look at it, a haircut is a haircut and a ritual that will always seem to baffle the mines of both men and women.