Potluck Movie Night

Had a great time watching Shutter Island with everybody. I had already seen it a few times before, but every time I've watched it I always pick up on something different, because it's just that kind of movie. The plot really messes with your head, especially when you are trying to figure out what's real and what's not, and who's lying and who's telling the truth. I really liked Leonardo DiCaprio's performance as the main character too, becuase the first time I watched it i was completely surprised by the twist ending, and Leo did a great job of playing a convincingly insane, yet very intelligent character.

History of Haverfield

It's a rare opportunity when you get to listen to someone speak about history who was there when the history was happening, so hearing about the story of the USS Haverfield and the man it was named after from people who actually worked on the ship was pretty cool. The ship was used during World War II all the way through the beginning of the Vietnam War, where it was involved in running aground a chinese trawler which was taking massive amounts of weapons to the Vietcong forces. Ensign James Haverfield was a great national hero, who served his country proudly, and died on the USS Arizona in the attacks on Pearl Harbor.

Philosophy of Population Ethics

On October 26th, members of Humanities and I ventured to McPherson for a dinner & dialogue event that consisted of a discussion on population ethics. Population ethics is the philosophical study of the moral ramifications and decisions regarding reproduction and the overall well-being of a community. Professor Don Hubin, the philosophy department chair, led the discussion with both knowledge of and fervor for the subject. He had us consider total vs. average utilitarianism, or how happiness can be measured both by total happiness within a population and average happiness of each individual. By assigning "happiness units" to different people under given situations, he helped us weigh the pros and cons of bringing a child into the world and whose happiness such an act would affect. We discussed the moral considerations that go into decisions such as abortion and use of contraception, ultimately drawing the conclusion that sometimes it is better to not have a child if that child's life will be significantly difficult, resulting in a decrease in happiness for that individual. While this discussion seemed controversial on the surface, its main argument boils down to questions of moral obligation and life value, which are endlessly fascinating topics to me since I am a philosophy major. I thoroughly enjoyed this discussion, and I encourage others to consider ethical questions such as these in order to further examine the value of life and how decisions can be logically argued in order to favor the outcome that offers the most happiness.

Chicago!

I have been to the Windy City twice now, and I can openly admit the second time was significantly more enjoyable than the first. The weekend seemed to fly by because of all the activities we had to choose from, and even the mandatory events were fun. Second City on our first night was hilarious - I think there were a lot of important topics brought up that were performed in a way we could all enjoy, but there were also a lot of goofy sketches to keep things from getting too heavy. Dinner with Ben and Daniel before the performance was also pretty cool... Even if they did get let in on my Canadian accent haha. We all had a lot of free time to explore the city, but walking together as a group to places like The Field Museum or Northwestern was also a great bonding experience, if you will. The last thing I have to mention is Gino's.... Wow. Best. Pizza. I. Have. EVER. Had. Overall, Chicago with the Humanities was a great way to spend my Veteran's Day weekend.

hitRECord at the Movies with Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Yesterday, my roommate and I traveled south to the Union to see Joseph Gordon-Levitt perform. We were't exactly sure what the thing was about but we liked Joe so it was ok. HitRECord is a production company started by Joe that focuses on group collaboration and short films. Throughout the night, we recorded his performance and watched various short films from his company and some lucky audience members were brought onstage. Even though this event wasn't specifically for the Humanities Scholars, my roommate and I definitely found that it coincided with our ideals. Art and Culture being the most prominent but there was some philosophic messages as well. It was a great time and we were both glad we had gone despite the fact that we didn't quite know what to expect.

Humanities Retreat

I am a camp girl. I started summer camp when I was six years old and today I am a summer camp counselor. The retreat made me remember how much I love camp and I was filled with enthusiasm for the experience. Apart from the fun of the outdoors and being with my fellow Humanities Scholars, I developed team-building skills with a great group of people. From balancing beams to trust falls, the day was a really great trip. I am very glad to have had such a rewarding retreat with my friends!

Treat the Hungry

I absolutely loved participating in Treat the Hungry on Monday night. Not only did it give me an excuse to dress up for Halloween, it was a great service project and an opportunity to learn my way around Columbus outside of the OSU campus. I was so excited about how well-received we were in Hilliard; people loved talking to us and were very generous about their donations. I couldn't believe that we got 555lbs of food! Treat the Hungry was an amazing opportunity to help out a local food bank, get to know my fellow Humanities scholars and spread the OSU spirit throughout the community.