Ramayana Ballet

((a bright costume))

Bright, vivid colors marked this ballet. Even though I could not understand the language, the elaborate traditional Indian costumes were entertaining to observe. Each outfit included sound making objects and other embellishments that added to the complexity of the choppy dance moves. These bright colors and elaborate costumes, however, seemed to contrast with the music. Although I felt animated by the music during the scenes, the background tunes stayed the same which gave the performance a unity but also a soothing and lulling tone. For example, in between the dances, the continuous twanging sound reminded me of a lullaby and often made me calm to the point of nodding off. However, once the lights came on and the brightly dressed performers appeared on stage I always was newly energized. The exotic music and dance were a sight in itself even before following a story.
((dance and expressions))
The dramatic expressions were, for me, what allowed me to understand the story and remain interested in the ballet. Since most the scenes did not involve spoken words, the dancers expressed their emotions solely through their gestures and facial expressions. I noticed that even the musicians on the side gave emotion to their music and words through dramatic expressions. Also, hearing the high pitched singing coming from the older woman was very interesting for me since I did expected her voice to sound more scratchy and deep. The expressions told the story exceptionally well in Scene 9 when Rama must accomplish the impossible feat of lifting and stringing the mighty bow of Shiva. Sita watches anxiously while Rama shows signs of strain on his face and each wrinkle in their faces showed emotion—more so that any words could.
((shivas bow))
((sword in the stone))
This scenes, in fact, reminded me of the popular Sword in the Stone story by T. H. White. In it, Wart accomplishes the impossible by pulling a sword out of a stone. He thereby becomes King of the land. Similarly, Rama accomplished the impossible by stringing the bow, and thereby is able to marry Sita. I find it interesting that, like Danielle who found similarities to Jesus’ life, this story of Ramayana parallels stories of the western tradition. It suggests that certain aspects of cultures and religions are timeless across space and time. It seems that the stories must be allusions to deeper truths. Perhaps the sword in the stone and Shiva’s great bow represent a strength and will power necessary to accomplish what one desires. Or, maybe, it tells us about destiny and that certain individuals are destined to do what fits them. Or, they give us hope to reach for the impossible.

In any case, the ballet taught me about the Indian and Hindu culture. Not only did it show me traditional Indian dress and music , but it also showed me a timeless story that applies to the western culture as well as the Indian culture.

Sea Monsters 3D Imax

When I read a captivating novel, I get lost in the words and become so engaged in the story that I sometimes do not here my name being spoken. Film and movies take written media one step further by allowing us to fully enter into the moment on screen by adding sounds and images. And, 3D images take film and movies to the next step of experience and make us feel as if we are actually in the moment on screen. Perhaps 3D films take away the use of our imagination. I believe, however, that 3D images allow us to better use our sympathetic imagination as we temporarily unite with the characters on screen. Viewing the 3D Imax about sea monsters was the ultimate experience of bringing the “ghosts of our past” to life. I felt like I could reach out and grab the sea creatures as they swam out of the screen. Just as imagined story characters can be our role models, I found that extinct animals can possess leadership qualities.
((A dolichrynchops--Birth of Dolly))
As we were transported back to the Late Cretaceous period, we followed the life and adventures of a dolichrhynchops, “Dolly.” I enjoyed how the Imax jumped between more modern times of the discovery of her fossilized bones and the prehistoric watery world of the time. Her bones were discovered in Kansas which I learned was once submerged beneath water. After finding the fossils, the imax recreates the possible life of Dolly:

((Prehistoric shark that attacked Dolly))
The moment that, literally, stuck with Dolly for eternity was a narrow escape from a vicious shark. The shark bit her fin, leaving his tooth embedded in it. While Dolly avoided death, she still bore the scar of the attack as her flesh grew around the embedded tooth. I admired Dolly’s will to survive and ability to escape the attack. The tooth embedded in her fin is a metaphor for working through setbacks and challenges. It also seems symbolic of “scars” we receive when we are emotionally injured. For example, I recently browsed through the book, PostSecret, in which people anonymously mail their secrets on one side of a homemade postcard to the compiler of the book. So many of the secrets on the postcards involved emotional damage cause by molestation or simply the guilt felt for withholding the truth. I could tell that people carry guilt and secrets their entire lives even as they put on a cheerful exterior. Their flesh covers their wounds just as Dolly’s skin grew over the tooth.
((The Cover of PostSecret))
Exploring the depths of the oceans, the Imax also brought us face-to-face with other frightening sea creatures. Nevertheless, Dolly learned to survive in the dangerous waters. She made a life for herself by finding food and kept swimming and swimming. Dolly therefore displays courage and perseverance: both qualities of a leader. Despite the ages between us and the sea monsters, it is amazing the similarities we can find in them. The exotic sea monsters survived in a harsh environment, and the Imax brought that environment to life and allowed those monsters to set an example of control and leadership.

The Death Penalty in America: A Fading Practice?

Speaker Professor David Oshinsky

On September 19th, historian David Oshinsky spoke on the history of capital punishment in the U.S. at this second installment of the University Lecture Series. Right away, the talk was off to a good start with the free Amy’s Ice Cream and t-shirt:


This talk was slightly smaller than the Troop 1500 lecture, and I arrived early so was able to get a prime spot a few seats away from Oshinskey. I also enjoyed the open microphone at the end when students could ask questions. I am personally against the death penalty, but I liked how Oshinskey presented both sides of the argument. And, to begin, he qualified his entire speech by stating the inaccuracy of opinion polls—that the results depend on how the questions are asked (for example, “yes” vs. “yes, instead of jail”). I felt that Oshinskey’s spoke, therefore, in an informative and relatively unbiased manner. Some interesting facts and points I gathered include:

With Austin as an exception, people in support of capital punishment are more old, southern, white, religious, and male. I find the fact that more people who call themselves religious are in support of the death penalty ironic because it seems that religion usually encourages protection of life as sacred.

The issue of capital punishment also hits close to home. Texas executes a third of all who receive the death penalty and a third of those executed come from Harris County (aka Houston), my home city. The model penal code calls for a two part trial: one to determine guilt and one to determine the penalty and punishment. Further, the United States is one of the few democracies to have capital punishment. Interestingly, however, the majority of both English and French citizens support the death penalty. Supporters of capital punishment point out that the criminals had free will. Opponents cite racism, discrimination, lack of deterrence, and innocent killing as reasons against capital punishment.

Oshinskey cited many statistics on how racism seems to be tied to who receives capital punishment. One of many include that most executions occur in states of the former confederacy- perhaps a result of the culture of exclusion. Few rich people receive the death penalty which points to under representation (for the un-rich) by poor and inexperienced attorneys. The death penalty also has been severely restricted: rapists, juveniles, and the mentally deficient cannot receive it.

There is also not much evidence that capital punishment deters criminals from committing a crime. However, interestingly, there is some correlation between the numbers of violent crimes that occur around the time that an execution takes place. In many instances the crime rate decreases which suggests that the execution scares criminals and deters crime. Yet in other cases the crime rate rises which suggests that the act of killing brutalizes humans and encourages violence. Further, inmates on death row sometimes kill the guards. Thus, the death penalty can lead to the loss of even more lives.

These problems with capital punishment can never completely be fixed. We can never insure that the innocent are not executed or that politicians won’t use it as a political tool or that racism is not a factor in giving the death penalty. However, one professor mentioned that perhaps the system of capital punishment will become so refined that only the truly dangerous people of our world will receive it.

The difference between retribution and revenge is a fine line. And, I believe capital punishment will still be an issue fifty years from now because it will not be outlawed anytime soon.

Evidence of my attendance