Hello! I am taking Documentary Filmmaking, a block centered around the creative and technical approaches to making documentaries, taught by alum Doug Pray (a documentary filmmaker himself). After a packed week, I’m excited to share some of the many tips, ideas, and artistic lessons I have already absorbed. My favorite assignment we did this week …
Category Archives: Courses
Personal Financial Planning
Greetings, I don’t usually blog, but I feel morally obligated to promote the half block I am currently in, Personal Financial Planning, and what better way to tackle promotion than through the written word? I want everyone to know how smitten I am with this class. Normally I find myself enrolled in humanities classes—specifically English—but …
Highlights of the Oxmas Season
Apologies for being out of touch, friends. Things have been busy as the term came to an end. Now Oxford is filled with young interviewees seeking admission to the University, and I am leaving to explore France and other parts of the UK. As a side note, admission to Oxford basically comes down to two …
STEMs of a New Education in America
For those of you who don’t know, Colorado is currently undergoing a massive educational reform (or, at least it’s trying). Here are some scary statistics (and if you don’t believe me, look ’em up): *The average cost of educating one child annually is nearly $13,000 *District 11 (here, in Colorado Springs) is suffering from a lack …
Creating Inspired Adults, Not Worker Bees
I’m currently taking the class Frameworks in American Education with Mike Taber (who is incredible, by the way). Today we brought up the idea of the new paradigm. That is, we discussed in class possible paper ideas where we propose a shift or change in the American educational system. One of the ideas that came up …
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Shumei International Institute
The Shumei International Institute is a spiritual center founded on the philosophy of Mokichi Okada that people are world citizens able to act for the common good. Although simplified, the way I understood the institute is a celebration of beauty to make the world a better place. The architecture is amazing. Clean, simple lines enhance …
A Bad Word
There is not a problem with the idea of nonviolence; there is a problem with the word “nonviolence.” The definition is flat and does not encompass what nonviolence truly is. Let’s break down the word. The prefix “non” means “no” or “not doing.” The word “violence” is defined by Webster dictionary as “behavior involving physical …
Wrapping Up
As we rapidly enter into fourth week, brains full of newly learned information and minds looking forward to break, I would like to take a moment to reflect upon what I believe to be the largest discovery our class has realized thus far. Although I mentioned in my last blog it seemed an unspoken understanding …
Page Turner
One afternoon I make it my mission to explore Oxford’s libraries. This is easily imagined but less easily done because there are no fewer than one hundred libraries in the city. They range from the massive and historical Bodleian–which is legally entitled to a copy of every book published in England–to private libraries in each …
Peter’s Bike Clinic
We cram into cars and head to Peter’s Bicycle Clinic. The directions head down Cascade. Turn right. Turn right again. Little did I know we were heading to another world. Walking into Peter’s bike shop, the first thing I notice are the walls of positivity. Handmade signs remind me to smile. The décor of optimism …
