Quiz #2: Wednesday February 20th

We moved up Quiz #2 to this Wednesday.

The quiz will draw questions from Chapters 4 and 5.

For this quiz we want you to think about the concept of Hero As Archetype and how it relates to real-life heroes. In Chapter 4, ("Dawn of the Gods") the author explains how the Egyptian, Greek, and Roman societies had a robust and ritualistic relationship with their respective pantheons of Gods. Each God represented an aspect of life and the universe and each had a unique narrative or place in their daily lives.

Nowadays, we too have our own versions of the Gods. So far, we have talked at length about comic book super heroes. But what about real-life heroes? Real life heroes also seem to embody the same characteristics/traits of the Gods. For instance, in the current Presidential race Senator John McCain has been constructed as a God of War (both because of his service in the U.S. Navy, his status as a former P.O.W., and his support for "the surge" in Iraq.)

In Chapter 5, ("Empire of the Mind") the author talks about the influence that heroes have on other people and societies. He specifically mentions Alexander the Great as a prototype of the influential icon in the annals of history. We can also look to what Knowles calls "The Radicals" or groups of people who make up a social movement and how they inspire change--the Suffragists, the Abolitionists, etc.

Lastly, Chapter 5 focuses on Spiritualism and how the United States suddenly found itself inside a phenemonen where self-identified mystics, psychics, and clairvoyants "spoke to the dead." Knowles argues that this spiritualist movements "...tapped into the greater discontent aroused by industrialization and its attendant social woes."

Here are the two questions that you should think about and be prepared to write on for Wednesday's Quiz. It will be the same format as Quiz #1--choose two questions to answer:

1. Choose a real-life hero (athlete, artist, educator, spiritual leader, politician, historical figure, social critic, revolutionary, etc.) and discuss their Heroic Archetype. What is it in their character or actions that makes them a "hero?"

2. What can we learn from this hero's story? Is the narrative meant to be a parable (where we learn important life lessons) or is it merely entertainment?

"Real Life Heroes": Teachers

The following video is a trailer for a documentary titled "Accidental Hero: Room 408." The film follows the life and work of forensics coach/teacher Tommie Lindsey, who built the ferociously competitive James Logan High School Speech and Debate squad from a small after-school program into a juggernaut on the National Forensics scene.

I have known Tommie for six years now and I have had the great opportunity to work with him and his students down at James Logan (which is located in Union City, CA not far from the greater Oakland area.)

Tommie is the paragon of a real-life hero, an educator who puts in to0 many hours and who has faced too many challenges to just give up his hope and dream of helping his students find their voices and and their talents.

"Real Life Heroes": Historical Figures

I really enjoyed our preliminary discussion of "real life" heroes (as opposed to comic book heroes or fictional protagonists.)

We will be extending our conversation on real-life heroes in class today. I think its important to think of real-life heroes in terms of archetypes (as opposed to a rigid criteria or definition.) A real-life hero can be found in all walks of life: teachers, parents, siblings, mentors, colleagues, employers. We can also think about real-life heroes in terms of historical figures or artists, writers, thinkers, and revolutionaries.

Speaking of real-life historical heroes, The New York Times printed an interesting article regarding the icon status of our first President, George Washington:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/opinion/18hogeland.html?th&emc=th

It is interesting to note from the article that Washington shunned the adoration that his colleagues and admirers thrust upon him. If someone does not want to be considered a hero...are they still a hero?

Project Pitch Period/Feb. 13, 2008

The very important PROJECT PITCH PERIOD is almost here. On February 13th be sure to arrive on time and prepared to give either DOC or Mr. A. the best pitch possible. This is worth some substantial points! Cheerio, DOC

Songs of Superman

That Superman documentary is pretty interesting, eh?

Speaking of the Man Of Steel--I was looking over my iTunes library and it hit me: there are a lot of songs out there that are either about Superman or they reference Superman.

Here are the songs that I could think of that fit this category; please post any others in the comment section that I may have left out.

(The song titles with asterisks are in my iTunes library, btw.) :-)

"Sunshine Superman" by Donovan*
"(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman" by The Kinks*
"I Am Superman" by R.E.M.*
"Waitin' For A Superman" by The Flaming Lips*
"Pocket Full Of Kryptonite" by The Spin Doctors
"Kryptonite" by 3 Doors Down
"Superman" by Five For Fighting