My Thoughts on University

About a month ago in class, we were assigned to read "Discourse 5. Knowledge, It's Own End" by John Henry Cardinal Newman. A brief summary of what John says in this essay is that the student does and can make whatever they want of the knowledge they receive. He states the idea of a university is different to everyone and basically says you get out of it what you want. Depending on what the student decides to major in, they will leave the college with that knowledge if that is what they want. I completely agree with what Newman is trying to say here. He thinks that colleges should provide a variety of opportunities so everyone can experience and take part in what they want to do. He believes in more of a liberal education. Because there are so many people in this world and so many different opinions and beliefs, he says that schools should offer a wide range of subjects and classes to take and I think for the most part schools do that. People should not be restricted to do what they want to do.

Newman also wishes that students would go to school for the sake of knowledge and not necessarily just for the degree and I don't really agree with this. Currently, I feel as if schools force every major to take classes that are not going to be useful later in life. I'm currently in Mechanical Engineering and I feel like the school forces me to take subjects and classes that don't pertain to engineering at all. Because of this, it demotivates me to pay attention to some of those classes because they are unimportant to me. I don't want to learn the knowledge presented in those classes because I'm not interested, I just want to be able to get my degree so I have to take some of those classes. I feel as if Newman wanted people to mainly focus on the knowledge, then schools shouldn't force students to take classes that are uninteresting to them. For students to want to learn the information brought up to them, they should be able to have a little more say in what classes they get to take or don't want to take. 

Most people these days just care about the money. I would say most students think that what they are learning isn't that interesting to them but it's just something that wouldn't be incredibly boring. Most students just want to get out of college as quick as possible so they can get a job and start making money. Now there are some students who do really enjoy what they are doing and want to take their time and enjoy college. But if we're being real most people are in college just for the degree and not for the money. And the reason for that is because the schools force a lot of unnecessary classes in my opinion. I do agree with Newman when he says there should be variety in schools. But I don't think there will ever be a day where most students are in college for the learning rather than just to get a degree.

Ian Ransonet

Importance of Britain in World War 2

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Importance of Britain in World War 2

There is a rumour about a famous quote Stalin apparently once said: ”England brought the time, America the money and Russia the blood.”

There is a lot of truth in Stalin words when it comes to Britain buying time in the second World War. By staying in the war, Britain made it possible to allow a bridgehead for US and allied troops and also a vital line of supply to the USSR. This played a huge part in terms of material delivery but more important in keeping up the morality of the soldiers.

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Also the rescue mission of Dunkirk played a huge role in World War 2. After Germany invaded France, Belgium and the Netherlands the British army was trapped in Dunkirk, a small town located at the shores of northern France. By the time, when the German troops slowly moved in to kill the nearly 500000 trapped soldiers there, the Britains started on of the biggest rescue missions ever. They managed to rescue almost all of the 500000 soldiers and bring them back to England. Those soldiers played a huge role later on in the following fights against Germany. If the Britains would have lost this amount of soldiers the possibility of loosing important fights in the World War against Germany would have been much higher.

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Another important contribution that Britain made in World War 2 was by winning the Battle of Britain. When Germany tried to invade Britain, the british air force managed to defead the Luftwaffe (German air force). Britain destroyed 2000 planes and killed or captured all of their pilots. This was an major achievement for the allied forces, because as a result the German air force was not that powerful, after this defeat, anymore and it made it easier to fight them. Therefore Germany had to divide its military forces and split it up, to defend against the Britains at its coast lines on the one hand, and on the other hand it also had to send troops to Russia because of the on going invasion there. This also made the defence and the attacks of the German military much weaker, which also led to more success in the war against them.

But the Britains not only helped in a military way, they also helped by supplying and in a logistical way. Because the Britains had such a big marine and air force they where able to supply they other ally forces all over the world. The british army was constantly supplying the other allied forces with supplies and important war equipment, like tanks, ammunition, weapons, etc. There were also constantly shipping or flying reinforcements to any needed place in the war zones to help out wherever it was needed.

This is why Britain played such a big part in winning the Second World War against Germany. It was crucial that Britain decided not to stay out of this war, because it was such a big factor in winning this war.

Dominik König

A Recommendation: The King's Speech

The King's Speech is a movie that was released in 2010 and was directed by Tom Hooper. Before my senior year of high school, I was forced to watch the movie in the summer. I was never a fan of the movies we were forced to watch and books we were forced to read. I never found them interesting until I watched The King's Speech. This movie is about a man named Bertie but he's not just any ordinary man. He is second in line to the throne. His father King George V currently is King of the nation. Bertie's brother is next in line. Soon into the book, King George V passes away and Bertie's brother takes the throne. Soon after that, Bertie's brother leaves the throne to marry a divorced American, meaning that Bertie is now King. There's only one problem with him being King. Bertie is very determined and knows his duties as King, but he has a severe stutter. 

Every single time Bertie is required to speak to mass amounts of people, he stutters an insane amount. It is so hard for him to get out a single sentence. If he were to recite an entire speech in front of a large crowd, with his stutter it would take hours for the speech to finish. We're never really given a reason as to why Bertie has a stutter, but the cause seems to be because of childhood trauma. Bertie's stutter is so severe, it is pretty much impossible for him to be able to give a single speech. Bertie has a wife (Elizabeth) who's very supportive of him and trying to fix the solution. So Bertie and Elizabeth try speech therapy for him. They go to many therapists but it seems pointless as no one is helping. Just when Bertie is about to quit, Elizabeth convinces him to go to one more person, named Lionel. Bertie thinks that there's no use and no one and nothing will ever fix his problem. So Bertie goes in being very skeptical.

In the beginning, Bertie is very uncooperative with Lionel but Lionel is convinced by the end of the sessions that Bertie's stutter will completely disappear. At the beginning of the sessions, Bertie says it's no use and says he's never going back. But eventually, his purpose drives him to return to Lionel. There is a scene where Lionel makes Bertie listen to music while reading and reciting different lines. Lionel recorded Bertie talking, and for the first time ever, Bertie spoke completely normally. No stutter at all. Since Bertie couldn't hear himself speak, he thought he stuttered throughout the entire thing. Bertie left with feelings of failure and anger towards himself. But Lionel gave Bertie the recording of him speaking. One day at his house, Bertie decides to give the recording a listen and realized, that it's himself speaking with no interruptions. There wasn't a single stutter and this drove Bertie to go back to Lionel and not stop going back. After multiple sessions throughout the movie, Bertie ends up having to give a speech at the end of the film to the entire nation. Great Britain is about to go to war so he has to give speeches to rally the nation to give them courage. Bertie goes into a broadcasting room with Lionel to give the speech and does it perfectly, inspiring people all over England. 

The main reason why I enjoyed this movie, and recommend it to everyone else, is because it has an element of everything. The movie is rated R but the only reason for that is because of some of the language. It's a very calm movie with a smooth plotline and I feel like it has a little bit of everything. There are strong themes of comedy, friendship, marriage, responsibilities, and self-motivation. The relationship between Lionel and Bertie is very important too. As a King, typically the kings feel above everyone else, especially people who are Australian (which is Lionel's nationality by the way). And to see Lionel and Bertie form this friendship is not common in the setting of this movie, the 1930s. Lionel and Bertie ended up being best friends for the rest of there lives and that was not common of people in higher class England. The conversations between the two were also comical every now and then. It gives good comic relief to the tension of wondering if Bertie will ever lose his stutter. The film also has a very good, non-cliche ending. It was a very simple ending with Bertie inspiring the entire country with his words. This movie also can relate to many common people. It shows how even those who are given everything at birth still struggle with problems within themselves. There's a reason why this movie won 4 Oscars in total. It provides a very good story without overdoing it. I recommend this movie to anyone who's looking for inspiration or just a good story enriched film. 

Ian Ransonet

Racism in Britain

 

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As Americans we are generally under the impression that only are our country experiences racist viewpoints. While our country was built on racist values and a lot of our laws and even the Constitution excluded anyone who wasn't white being a free person. It is important to keep in mind that our country and its values originate from Europe. Before America was a free country it was a colony of Britain. This means that a lot of systematic forms of racism translated from the motherland over to America. Racism stems from those who desire power and oppressing those who they deem below them allows them to have stature and rise above those they believe to be inferior.  

  

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White Teeth by Zadie Smith focuses on the racism and underlying disdain that colonized British people face from British people who see themselves as true British people. The characters we follow are a British man who marries a young woman from Jamaica, his friend who is from Bangladesh, the child of the British man and Jamaican woman, and the twins of the man from Bangladesh. They face many rude comments from British people because they don't look British. Millat and Irie in particular face comments from other British people who expect them to have been born from an exotic colony when in reality they were born right down the road. 

 

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The racism that Smith tackles shows that racism's roots stretch far and wide. The people of Britain look upon British subjects who are not white as not being truly British. They think they take their jobs and potential housing. This ideological mindset reflects the American thinking of racism. Racism has been born from Britain and carries across the sea. This has left the American population to battle racism as much as British people. Color blindness, pretending that racism is dead, and systematic forms of oppression are the same in both countries. They just present themselves in slightly different ways, but the root of cruelty is reflected across the sea.

What are your thoughts on the racism presented in White Teeth? Let me know down below in the comments. 

See you soon,

Sarah Johnson 

A Passage to Colonization

  

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A Passage to India by E.M. Forester is set in India during the reign of the British Raj. This novel looks at the disparaging atmosphere between the British and the Indians. The British took to seeing themselves as refined, civilized, and essentially as good human beings. In contrast they viewed the Indian people as uncivilized barbarians who were prone to committing evil acts. The Indian people were very resentful towards their treatment and undermined British authority with rude slights of propriety and petty comments.   

 

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 The British view themselves as civilized because they come from the Western world which is full of rules, culture, and aristocracy. The Indians view themselves as civilized because they come from a world with rules, culture, and aristocracy. The difference is that the West views India as an exotic and unexplored world that is full of mystery and eroticism. For instance, Adela wants to explore India and discover the mysticism of the culture. Her desire to explore is not because she wants to know the people or the culture but because she wants her view to be fulfilled. 

  

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Her reality becomes shattered as she enters the caves with a local Indian doctor (Aziz) and is confronted by the darkness within herself as well as from the outside. It causes her to ask personal and rude questions about Aziz's marriage and implies that he is practices polygamy. Aziz is very frustrated and hurt by this insult and storms off. Adela has a mental breakdown and fabricates this story about being accosted in the caves.

 

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The British people believe Adela because 

1. She is British and Aziz is Indian.

2. She has privilege and more stature than Aziz.

3. She is engaged to a man of power and so her word must be valid.

4. Obviously, all Indians are savages and Aziz has been masquerading as well-refined doctor for so long.

The British people believe that the caves brought about Aziz's true nature, but in reality they brought to like Adela's. Adela's nature is to point fingers and be fearful of the Indian people. This shows that her rash conclusion and fear of not actually wanting to marry Ronny caused her to have a breakdown, but her first inclination wasn't to acknowledge that something wasn't right with her, but that something was wrong with the man who must have accompanied her even though he left her. Because how could there be anything wrong with someone civilized when faced with the truth in the darkness of a cave? This is the question I believe cushioned Adela to make her accusation.

 

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Nothing really changes by the end of the novel. The British still think Aziz did it and the Indian still hate the British. This is shown through Aziz and Fielding's broken and shattered friendship. They both want to repair it, but the damages of the British civility have been done. The friendship is irreparable just like the Indian people will never be able to fully trust or listen to the authority of the British. There is a rift in the country and it is reflected in the friendship of the East and the West. 

What are your thoughts on the colonization and perspectives addressed in A Passage to India? Let me know down below in the comments.

See you soon,

Sarah Johnson 

Great Expectations (The Truth vs. Reality)

  

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As Americans I think we often times have a fantastic ideal of what Britain is. We as the famous British author Charles Dickens create in our minds these great expectations about our life and the world around us. In the beloved novel Great Expectations, Pip is a poor boy raised by his sister who has no hope of ever getting outside of social class. He is destined to be a blacksmith and take over his brother-in-law's apprenticeship. Pip has these great expectations of breaking out of societal molds and obtaining a dream that seems too great to achieve. He has built up the glory of escaping the middle class and once he does by luck and an anonymous benefactor he quickly realizes that class does not allow for one to escape the truth of English society, which can be an ugly place. 

 

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Americans have a view of England that usually involves a castle, the London Bridge, and soldiers with long black hats who can't move. This is the great expectation of American travelers. Britain, however, is not a far cry from the society portrayed in Great Expectations. Age old prejudices are still there and there is still contempt for those who are poor or who can't do for themselves. Americans walk into England with this profound sense of romanticism for the mystical country. 

 

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When discussing Eastern versus Western in class we touched on the desire many Westerners have when traveling to "exotic" places. I believe that Americans still view Britain as exotic, but not in the sense of unrefined and uncultured as those of the past view other countries. Americans view Britain as sophisticated and as an epicenter of culture. They want the posh British experience. It's the trap of the traveler. The great expectation that lurks within every human being when it comes to experiencing a new individual experience.

What are your thoughts on the Americanized view of Britain? Let me know down below in the comments.

See you soon, 

Sarah Johnson

Sweeney Todd and the Decay of London

  

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I watched Sweeney Todd for the first time during Freeform's 31 Days of Halloween and the film resonated with me. Not in the beautiful way of what a gorgeous film with great moral values. The film was gorgeous, but the gore and the decay of London was a great juxtaposition for the decay of the London people. Sweeney Todd is a barber looking for revenge and returning to London after being wronged and thrown into prison. He has changed his name and is looking for revenge. The opening song is titled "No Place Like London". Todd sings these ominous lines, 

There's a hole in the world like a great black pit
And the vermin of the world inhabit it
And its morals aren't worth what a pig could spit
And it goes by the name of London

Todd disgraces London. He spits on London as it has spit on him through the selfish desires of its inhabitants. London's class scheme and poverty is the root of this story. Yes, there's gore, cannibalism, and insanity, but that isn't what makes Sweeney Todd so disgusting. What's disgusting about London is the way a judge decided to rape Todd's wife in public and got away with. What's disgusting is that Mrs. Lovett schemes to turn Todd's murdered victims into meat pies because of her inability to purchase meat and sustain a living. What's disgusting is the way that London eats its inhabitants up hole and swallows them without any thought because those who inhabit its streets are looking to devour those around them. 

Watch the opening song and tell me what you think down below in the comments. Are you a fan of Sweeney Todd's depiction of London or do you think it's too pessimistic? 

See you soon,

Sarah Johnson