HUM 101

I love this class! Sister Haddock is so wonderful. I really enjoyed writing this paper. I got 50/50 and a WOW! sticker:) Yes. I do feel good about myself for receiving a WOW! sticker. I'm 5. But I especially wanted my Mom to read this, so here it is:

“The Magic Flute” Performance Report

Mozart’s opera “The Magic Flute” as performed by BYU was beautiful. I am grateful for the talent prevalent at our university to be able to accomplish such a feat. “The Magic Flute” is overflowing with symbolism and meaning, but the elements I wish to focus upon in this report are the versatility of the set, the profundity of the costumes, and the intensity of the relationship between Tamino and Pamina as compared to the relationship of their foil characters Papageno and Papagena.

The set was exquisite. I am so impressed that the pieces remained stationary throughout the entirety of the opera; the foresight and creativity of the set directors to erect such a versatile set was great. The set was rather nicely and aesthetically composed of three arches and a grand stairway. These “stone” pieces never moved though the location of events changed several times, varying from the exposition of a foreign place with a giant serpent, to inside Sarastro’s palace, to the sacred temple of wisdom: all the while the only elements altering to change “scene” and mood being lighting and the projections on the background screens—a purely genius concept—for example, whilst inside Sarastro’s palace the screens portrayed images of glittering chandeliers, at other times they reflected the night, or temple hieroglyphics. The arches themselves were pretty neat as well. It was almost Mines of Moria-esque when hieroglyphics lit up on the sides of the temple passageways. It is amazing to me that this same set, the same stationary pieces, were able to reflect such differing moods for specific instances. The set was a place of terror with the serpent and later the Queen of the Night; it was a place of suspense and fear when Tamino and Papageno were undergoing their trials in the temple; and it was a place of love and happiness when Tamino and Pamina, as well as Papageno and Papagena were all reunited.

The costumes expressed deep levels of meaning and profundity in their styles and colors. The three women, servants of the Queen of the Night, were obviously intentionally dark and seductive in their leather corsets and gauzy sleeves, and their appearances mimicked their behavior regarding the unconscious Tamino. Likewise, The Queen of the Night and Monostatos were dressed in black to reflect their sinister personalities and evil motives. In contrast, Tamino, Pamina, Sarastro, and Sarastro’s fellow temple patrons all wore white, placing them in direct opposition to the Queen, her servants and all she stands for (just in case the moon and sun motifs were not blatant enough). Sarastro and his people all wore long, shapeless, white robes with gold accessories. The white and gold color scheme represents wisdom and endowment, while the shapeless form of the clothes suggests a greater emphasis on otherworldly matters than on mortal concerns, once again putting Sarastro’s people in direct contrast to the Queen’s people in their tight fitting, suggestive apparel which emphasizes human cravings of lust and power. Tamino and Pamina both wear respectable outfits of white to symbolize their purity and innocence, making them a perfect couple. Papageno and Papagena are exceptions to the single-faceted characters of white or black: they are bright, colorful, and feathery, exemplifying their unique personalities and compatibility for one another.

The relationship between Tamino and Pamina is intense and full of highly charged emotions. Though it is a bit of a stretch that they each fell in love before they ever met one another, the legitimacy of their deep feelings are recognizable through comparison to the almost trivial feelings that exist between Papageno and Papagena. Papageno and Papagena serve as foil characters to Tamino and Pamina. Papageno and Papagena’s relationship is a result of trickery on the part of Papagena and desperation on the part of Papageno. Fortunately it works out for them, but that’s probably because they are the only two feathery people in existence. Tamino and Pamina, like Papageno and Papagena, begin their relationship instantaneously as a result of instinct based upon appearances; however, unlike Papageno and Papagena, Tamino and Pamina undergo significant trials in their relationship. Tamino is unable to speak to Pamina for a time, unable to be her support as part of the tasks he must complete. His behavior during this time breaks the heart of Pamina. It is in this point of the plot that I had the most notable relation to the story. I was able to see myself in Pamina. During Tamino’s vow of silence Pamina hears him playing his magic flute and comes to him. I know the pain she feels when he turns his back to her. She is so close, but he will not speak to her. He won’t tell her what’s going on, and she is at a complete loss of control. Her feelings are evident in her quote: “the man I am unable to hate has left his beloved. This cup of sorrow is full, faithless lover.” I know how it feels to have been away from someone who possesses your heart, and when you are finally reunited, to have them push you aside, ignore you, and give no explanation. My love did not return to me, however. I never got an explanation like Pamina did. He was not valiant like Tamino and did not fight for what was good and right. We did not get to experience the joy of entering hand in hand to the temple as planned. This is how I know the bond between Tamino and Pamina is strong, because I know what it would take to overcome such heartbreak. This personal experience, as well as the comparison between their foil counterparts, leads me to believe that Tamino and Pamina depict a strong, meaningful bond between two lovers.

Mozart is the man. I could’ve written an entire paper on religious symbols and how Mozart must have been inspired to write an opera so full of gospel truths, but instead I chose to focus on the what I can relate to: the setting life’s unfortunate as well as triumphant events occur in; the way in which we display ourselves through our appearances; and the intensity and struggles of love.

I hate Winter

I was trying so hard to be optimistic. "It's not THAT cold." "It's the holiday season!" "The lights are pretty." "Pie!" But Winter and I have had a falling out.

I used to love the sweaters, the scarves, the hats, the mittens. Snuggies, fireplaces, mistletoe, and socks. Hot cocoa, peppermint bark, and chocolate Santas.

But this year, snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes are most definitely not on my list of favorite things.

Driving in the snow has terrified me into hatred for Winter. All I know is that you pump the breaks. I really need someone to teach me the ropes. Because I slip and slide in my lane and it's not a holiday in the park.

Tonight was the worst of it. I may not touch my car for a while. I'm so embarrassed. I got stuck not once, but twice and had to have guys in my ward help push me out. I'm really wishing I had an underground reserved parking spot right about now.

There's just no way I can handle about four more months of this. My car may quite possibly sit useless until Spring rescues me. I don't even care if it turns into a giant ice cube.

But maybe I'll just have a boy help me put chains on my car and teach me the art of driving in evil Winter. This is probably the best solution. Now I simply need one that likes me enough to help out. Fortunately I've got someone in mind. A little baking should be coercion enough, I think.

Oh, Harold

Today, I discovered the library.

I use the library quite often for it's central location, perfectly suited for between-class studying, for the quiet atmosphere in which to take a nap, and the crazy hope that I'll meet some interesting and attractive person there.

But today, I actually used the library for its intended purpose. BOOKS.

It's seriously incredible how much information is contained in such a compact space. I had a bunch of books to get today and had to traverse each floor to find them all. It was actually a lot of fun:) And I had such a great feeling of accomplishment after fully participating in the library experience.
I even spent time in Special Collections reading a discourse from 1919. It was at that point that I was struck with how much we take this information for granted. We have so much right at our fingertips. Information is so accessible to us. While it's great to be able to do a few Boolean phrase searches and come up with exactly what we need, there's something majestic about searching through rows and rows and stack upon stacks of Books.

A Room with a View

Nothing fills the void in one's life like a BBC film.

The language, the wardrobe, the refinement, the accomplishment, the scenery. It's all in perfectly lovely juxtaposition to mine own. A refreshing escape from my own lack of adventure and intrigue. The very pursuit of love a perfect antithesis. For I do not pursue people. In fact, I run from them.

And I plan on running until I run right into the right one.

Journalism and Faith

I really liked our class discussion about how people often view others as different because of varying religious affiliations and how instead we need to recognize that people of faith share a lot in common. We shouldn't be a divisive public because we share a wide array of beliefs, and we shouldn't be afraid of other faiths and sects. Rather, we should recognize that religious people are people of compassion. People who seek out truth. People who have a reason for the way they live. Learning to accept and understand that shouldn't be scary. Yet many reporters shy away from anything religious.

"Isn't this journalism's mandate: to offer not just a simple play-by-play of reality, but also to explore what stirs, inspires, pushes people to action?"

Gal Beckerman

This clip talks about Religion on TV and why religious information requires specialized journalists.

I think my belief system will lend itself to accurate news-telling. I believe in being honest and true which is what journalism is all about. My belief system focuses on understanding morality through the light of Christ which we believe everyone is given. This would make us believe that our moral compass should pretty regularly point the same direction as all other goodhearted people. With the knowledge and beliefs I have, I will strive to find the truth and to report it in a truthful manner so that others can understand not how things seem to be, but how thing truly are. Striving to be honest in my deeds with my fellow men will also help me to be transparent in my person and reporting style and goals. I never want to mislead my audience, but rather to present honest and truthful information so my audience is enabled to make their own decisions.

I think a true person of faith can report objectively report on religious issues. You may not like or approve of something that happens, but if you seek out the truth and have humanity's best interests in mind, then I don't see a problem with reporting on religious issues. The key is to strive to avoid ethnocentrism.

I think reporters often have difficulties reporting about religion and faith, however, because they fail to understand the commonalities betwixt religions, and mostly because they're afraid of the repercussions that may arise from reporting on religion.

Mormon Media Studies Symposium

I attended the Young Scholars Speed Session on Thursday.

The first presentation was pretty neat. Trent Boulter and Kevin Nielsen presented their paper, “People Watch Conference Like This: Male and Female Viewing Styles During LDS General Conference,” via PowerPoint composed of their research methods and findings. Boulter and Nielsen designed a survey for single adults ages 18-31 in the Wasatch front. 320 people responded and Boulter and Nielsen analyzed General Conference viewership based on gender and media type. They found that overall, the most influential motive to pay attention is topic, and that viewers do not pay as much attention to auxiliaries though women pay more attention than men.

The second paper, “The Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News' Coverage of the 1978 Revelation: An Historical Analysis” by Malinda J. Miller, I thought could have been more interesting, but Miller’s presentation style was lacking. Miller researched news articles from The Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News that ran in the few months before and after the 1978 Priesthood revelation was announced. Miller found that all reactions were positive, and that the two newspapers devoted the same amount of space to the topic, though The Salt Lake Tribune took on a slightly different tone regarding the issue most likely due to the nature of the newspaper and the LDS ownership of Deseret News.

Dai Newman’s paper “Games Mormons Play” was really intriguing; I found the trends amongst Mormon board games very interesting. His primary argument was that Mormon games have become much simplified in recent years as opposed to the in-depth questions of previous generations. Newman claimed that the reason for this shift is due to the growth of the church, therefore less emphasis on Mormon personalities and a return to simple truths.

Danny Duerden’s paper “Viral Mormonism: A case study in why videos go viral using the MormonMessages YouTube channel” proposed that studying which videos go viral will allow people to understand why certain videos catch on, and therefore enable producers to construct videos that will go viral.

“From Foe to ‘Friend’: Shifting the Portrayal of Older Characters through a Religious Children’s Magazine” by Jessica L. Danowski analyzed the church magazine, The Friend, and its portrayal of the elderly. Danowski found that The Friend casts older characters in a significantly more positive light that most media.

I Love My Mom

I was born to my mother for a reason.

I used to dwell on our differences, that she was emotional and that I'm not. She doesn't like to cook; I love it. She hates shopping while it's my therapy. We have a very different style of accomplishing things as well. My mother's theory is "if it's only worth half doing, half do it." While mine is "if it's worth doing at all, it's worth doing right."

But recently these differences are not so important to me. They are no longer how I define our relationship to another. Rather, I have been noticing similarities.

My mother and I are both journalists. We are both interested by people and the world around us. We have no problem talking to others, and I believe we both feel that making connections, learning new things, gaining new stories validates us, makes us more interesting, accomplished people.

My mother and I are both intelligent and witty. We are also exceptional writers.

My mother instilled a great love for BBC dramas in me at a young age. I'm the only one of her daughters that ever got really into them. I remember hating them when I was very small, but something changed at some road marker and now I can't get enough of them.

My mother and I both love to travel.

We also both love to eat. This hobby works beautifully well with traveling.

Neither my mother nor I like "things." We don't like souvenirs- they're just more things to dust.

My mother and I have both suffered with depression. There is a despair so great associated with depression that those who battle with it have an unspoken understanding. It is a painful understanding of woe, but knowing that you're not alone even in your depth of lonely grief is a strength.

My mom actually listens to me. I used to think she didn't, but she does. She is the most supportive person I have. The most caring, the most involved.

My mom seems to think that I'm incredible. I hope that someday I can recognize in myself what she sees.

My mom doesn't try to sugarcoat my situation. But she has experiences that help strengthen me through difficulties.

My mom has faith in me. Faith that I will be okay. Faith that there is a better plan for me.

My mom loves me.

I love my mom.

Independence and Journalism

Independence and journalism is all about transparency. It's not good enough to try to be objective, accurate, and fair. It is also necessary for the public to know the background of the reporter.

I can't say I've ever seriously contemplated making sure my audience knew me, my intentions, my background, my beliefs, my motives, my associations, my allegiances. But class last week definitely drilled that home. The beating my team took when having to defend Maggie Gallagher was certainly enough to frighten me into full disclosure for the rest of my life.

Every association, every advocacy group we support, every political affiliation we hold, every religious and social belief, everything is subject to the scrutiny of the public. All of these are links or ties that connect us to groups and mindsets that infringe upon our independence. As gatekeepers, mediators, journalists, we must disclose these aspects of our lives as part of being independent and transparent.

Informing the public of our history as well as current obligations is necessary because, like it or not, WE ARE part of the news - we may not MAKE it, but we certainly do PRESENT it, and certain aspects of our lives may color certain stories. Full disclosure of ourselves is just another step in presenting all the information to the public in order for them to make informed decisions and to be self-governing.

Just read these bits of "The Ethics of Civic Journalism: Independence as the Guide" by Bob Steele and thought I'd share them:

"Poynter Institute senior scholar Roy Peter Clark (1994) ties the evolution of public journalism to the way journalists have perceived their function. 'Our role as detached observers has gotten us into a kind of problem, reflected in distrust by the public,' Clark says. 'The creation of a professional class of journalists may have produced an alienation between journalism and the public.' Clark suggests that 'the media needs to be more like the public. Journalists need to be more like the people.'"

In one more defense for my teammates and myself, isn't this what we tried to argue??:

"Mayor of Madison, Wisconsin, Paul Soglin worries that a newspaper can get too much power by mixing the roles of reporting the news and creating it. Soglin says the Wisconsin State Journal has been "wearing two hats" by reporting a story it helped create, in this case on economic development issues. Searching for Common Ground You can view this civic journalism debate from a good and bad, right and wrong perspective, but that would be both unfair and shortsighted. The issues are more complex than to be scored that way. There's plenty of gray area, it's not just about winners and losers, and much of the debate can be examined by going from the philosophy of public journalism, what it is, to how it is practiced. That's the next step in exploring the ethics of civic journalism."