Monthly Archives: July 2008

A Non-Violent Generation – Sam Wollenberg

July 29, 2008 – 4:59 pm
By s.wollenberg | Posted in Europe 2008 Comments (2)

Well I am now “officially” home in Vancouver and while listening to the glorious rain fall outside and writing papers on the Anabaptists, I decided to carry on my train of thoughts by finishing up my last blog post.

Non-Violence. Quite the concept when you think about it. To be a true supporter of non-violence and peaceful resistance one must whole heartedly commit to withdraw from any form of retaliatory violence, armed protection, and, some would argue, self defense. As much as I try and convince myself that i would be able to do all of these things when confronted with such situations, I really think that in the end, i would fall back on violent resistance and put up a hell of a self defense. These two terms, non-violence and peaceful resistance, mean the complete sacrifice of ones self in the hopes that the opponent will have the audacity and sincerity to utilize the same method of conflict resolution, but as history shows, that rarely occurs.

History has shown us that violence is a way to take something for one owns gain, take back something that was stolen, accumulate wealth and property, exterminate a disliked peoples or simply to prove that the power is there and effective. And yet, after all of the evils that have existed or exist, WWI-II, communist Russia, military regimes, corrupt presidents and politicians, what remarkably stands out to me, is the methods used to resist them. I realized this during our last debriefing at the Winchester Vineyard when Peter asked something along the lines of “What will be the greatest understanding that we can take away from this trip” and after mulling it over for a few minutes, the thing that stuck out in my mind was the monumental task of choosing peace over violence and resistance over aggression. Despite all the atrocities that have been the result of totalitarian rulers and oppressive forces, it wasn’t these feats that stood out to me. It was the courage of those that chose a different method and, successful or not, were willing to sacrifice themselves in the hopes that history can be changed.

I guess my final thought would be in the form of a few questions. How can we as Christians choose a different, peaceful approach to the numerous conflicts surrounding us today? How can we produce a non-violent generation that actually considers the available possibilities before resorting to primal instincts? I don’t know how I will react in every confrontational situation I am presented with and I am sure that there will be times when I think the best possible cure for some guys ignorance is a whack to the head but I hope I can exhibit some signs of change that assures me history cannot eternally repeat itself.

Post Trip Reflection on Valles De Los Caidos – Jennifer Ngo

July 25, 2008 – 9:50 am
By Jen Ngo | Posted in Europe 2008 Comments (0)

Yes, this post is about the first “big” historic spot we visited on the SSU Europe Trip 2008, and yes, it has already been a week since I got home. Why? Why is this post as behind in time as my journal entries? Why am I still stuck in Spain? We went through cathedrals like bowls of rice (for me) or plates of salad (for Mel) or mounds of any food (for Kendall), but Valles De Los Caidos (aka VDLC) still stuck out to me. Like many of the cathedrals and places we saw,  VDLC has a unique history and is an architectural masterpiece. But most importantly, it made me think about two questions which I was to ask myself again and again throughout the trip: What is human evil and what do we do in the face of it? And is this/can this be a sacred space for worshipping Jesus? VDLC is the beginning of the struggle for hope and goodness as seen through history. I can’t say I have perfect answers to these questions and to all the other questions these two questions provoked, but I have asked a lot more good questions. I do hope I’ve come to better grounds with this specie called humankind.From the glorification of war at VDLC to the horrors of concentration camps, we see the darkness of man; yet from the fascinating design of Gaudi’s architecture to the tales of heroic acts at Omaha Beach, we see the goodness and creativity of man; then in the passionate and radical lives of the various saints (Francis, Teresa etc) to the majestic beauty of the Alps, we see the constant presence of God. The world we live in can be rather foggy, and human nature can be so complicated, yet everything can also be oh so simple. I found out that it all have to do with choice. Are we willing to accept the fact that there is always something dark in our nature, yet still choose to make the most out of the good that is in us as well? Are we willing to choose make each space we visit a space that God can also visit? These are choices which we can make.There is a quote in my old prayer book back in secondary school in Hong Kong (it’s Anglican, it’s cool), and it goes like this:” God, please grant us the serenity to accept the things that we cannot change, courage to change the things we can, and wisdom to know the difference.”Evilness and sacred spaces, history and its lessons… don’t know how to finish this thought, I guess I’ll just let it hang. 

Post-Trip Reflection – Mike Cheatley

July 23, 2008 – 9:36 am
By Mike Cheatley | Posted in Europe 2008 Comments (0)

Alas, I am home. I have my own bed, free food, and a pile of new academic responsibilities for the next couple weeks. I still feel like I am in the processing mode for a lot of what happened on the trip, so it is difficult to attempt any kind of summary.

I have a choice of topics to write about. There is the surface level personal experiences (a rock concert outside of Vienna; para-gliding in the Swiss Alps). The assigned academic experience (Western history; lectures on the Renaissance, Reformation, etc). The personal struggles and conflicts (group dynamics; understanding world evils and the responsibility to action that it warrants).

It seems the last of these topics might be the best, partly because it is related to themes that some of our profs have been talking about recently. Throughout the trip we learned about different examples in history where people abused power and instigated great evils. Obvious examples are learning about the extermination of Jews, handicap persons, and homosexuals at Dachau and the repression and starvation of those under Stalin. In both of these cases there is a dichotomy of responses to both the Nazi and Stalinist puritan ideologies. Some people accept what they are fed, often caught up in the illusion of propaganda and failing to see the–dare I say–absolute and intrinsic evil within it. However, there always seem to be voices that stand for the good at these times. I am reminded of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Hans and Sophie Scholl who opposed the Nazi ideology and lost their lives because of it. While in Prague, we learned about a young student, 20 years old, that burned himself in protest of the Communist occupiers.

What is interesting is that each of these figures became martyrs. This gives me insight into a question that had been bothering me for some time: How do we respond to evil (in its many forms)? After Dachau our group had a debrief session. I had a brief chat with Walter after this expressing my frustration with the issue. To paraphrase his response, there comes a point when, if we truly believe in righteousness and goodness, we are willing to die for it. This is not a ‘will to death,’ but the recognition of a higher Good and Moral and refusing to give in to evil when it tempts us with the easy way out. Is that not how Christ died?

So, do I stay quiet at injustice? Do I shut up and convince myself that ‘it would not make a difference?’ It is one of the most difficult and challenging tasks to figure out what the practical responses look like, but God help me if I ever give in to passivity and indifference.

a little late… about 4 countries too late – Dana VanVeller

July 15, 2008 – 4:30 pm
By dana | Posted in Europe 2008 Comments (0)

Well.. this is a reflection i had after visiting Dachau, a concentration camp in Germany… but i figured i would post it anyways.

Dachau was a horrible place to visit, absolutely terrifying in the realities that existed in this place and in many other places all over Germany. it is so hard not to be weighed down by the darkness. It is easy, and necessary, to be caught in grief and to fill yourself with bitterness and hatred. This needs to happen for a time, but how can we move on while still in this mindset? Though is feels wrong and impossible to do so, it is important to look at the places that light has pierced the darkness–where the good has won and the evil has been pushed aside. i was not particularly conscious in doing this. i walked through the museum at the end of the day, after seeing the torture buildings, the barracks, etc. i walked through becoming more and more unwilling to take in any more awful information or view anymore terrible photographs. i was not intending to see any good (and even now it feels strange to claim that there is good), but i came across a panel about art and expression in the camp. There are documented songs written by prisoners, there were poems written, art created, and codified letters sent. These prisoners, though significantly oppressed still found enough of themselves left to create something pure and something untainted by the SS or the Nazis. These were tiny breakthroughs of the human spirit. it was art for both message and sanity. it is amazing to me that these people could still sing, could still create–these raw human expressions show a strength greater than the oppression and violence of the SS

This tremendous strength is only recognizable at an individual level. the general ‘big’ picture does not reveal these individual victories and, of course, is impossible to accept as good–it was not. but i think that this is one way by which we can find hope and an ability to continue on as humans who do good despite the evils that can exist within us. the power of response is what makes a person great.

anyways… this is me trying to find hope and victory in the oppression of Nazi Germany. hope it makes sense.

Popes and Pubs – Karis Taylor

July 15, 2008 – 1:38 pm
By karisktaylor | Posted in Europe 2008 Comments (0)

Since resigning myself to the fact that I will never be the Holy Roman Catholic Church’s pope, I have begun toying with the idea of becoming an Oxford Don. C.S. Lewis was an Oxford Don, and he got to sit in leathery, smokey, dimly lit pubs with his friends and discuss magical stories with them. I want to do that. I got to visit the Inklings’ favorite pub, The Eagle and Child (or as they knew it, The Bird and the Babe), which inspired my erudite aspirations still further. Indeed, I was so inspired that I decided to come up with the perfect name for the pub that I will frequent when I do become a stodgy old professor smelling of books and foreign tea. I’ve been writing down names in the margins of my Once and Future King copy as they come to me. They are all %100 original. Here are some of them: “The Worm and the Kettle”, “The Hat and Spaniel”, “The Fawn’s Foot”, “The Shrub and Rug”, “The Wig and the Whale”, and “The Fiddler and the Estonian Princess”. I might have some difficulty actually finding a pub with any of these names exactly, but hopes and dreams are such noble things, and nothing is ever impossible.

The other brilliant thing about England besides their pub names is their curry. London is a kick in the trousers because it doesn’t matter what ethnicity your bus driver, waiter or businessman is, he or she will have a British accent. Yet regardless of the accents’ assimilation these cultures have brought to this big English city the most tasty recipes. Last night I ate something that I can neither pronounce nor spell but I will remember forever. I think there was lamb in it, and chutney. Second only to the food was the service. After being scorned by almost every continental waiter I was grateful for our small town-Irish-vegetarian server (who seemed to be quite taken by Miss Katie Mott, I might add).

Since we fly off tomorrow, I think it fitting to write that this Europe trip has been a glorious experience for which I am eternally grateful, and I am sorry to leave, but I know that Europe has not seen the last of me.

A Prayer from a Pilgrim (on the way home) – Zoe Fitch

July 15, 2008 – 1:30 pm
By Zoe Fitch | Posted in Europe 2008 Comments (0)

Lord, you are in the silences here
and in the creaking of the old wooden pews
and floorboards.

In the swish of a jacket as it reaches for a pen
and in the ticking of the clock.

Welcome us, Friend Whose closed door keeps us in
Forgive us, Father Who takes no offense
Cleanse us, Spirit Who sees the heart inside in the skin

shannon may broke the elevator – Tyler Wilson

July 15, 2008 – 12:34 pm
By tyler wilson | Posted in Europe 2008 Comments (1)

No cause to worry, the elevator is now in fine working order.

In other news; a reflection inspired by our final debrief together.
Pete asked us what questions we are now asking ourselves as a result
of travelling and learning in Europe. Here’s where I’m at:

I find myself asking ‘What does it take to be an artist, and what
purpose does art serve?’ Certainly there is a huge spectrum of art,
and it is difficult to define, but some things simply cannot be called art, and some simply must. For example, our discussion of Klimt, a racy painter who portrayed women masturbating sparked a meaningful conversation about the difference between pornography and art. I believe that some of the difference lies in the intention of the artist. The same is true of an artist such as Pollock or Picasso. While any child may be capable of some of the same art, the child would be painting with a different intent, and that is where I believe beauty becomes art.

As for what purpose art serves, I just don’t know. Throughout Europe we have seen countless examples of religious propaganda painted by artists who were paid by wealthy church systems. I believe that to a large extent this method of, and purpose for, art has died away. Probably for the better. But that doesn’t meant that art has nothing to say about current religious matters. On the other hand, art can very clearly be a means to voice political messages, as we learned from Goya and Picasso. I suppose that I find myself on a journey to learn how and when art can be used to give voice to social and political injustice, and to find a personal expression of that art form.

Life in the homeland of Narnia – Krystal Muise

July 15, 2008 – 6:26 am
By muisekm | Posted in Europe 2008 Comments (0)

Just a few days ago, we were able to spend time in Oxford, England. The town is everything you could imagine of an English town. Filled with houses that are considered new if they were built in the 17/18th centuries, flower pots, Tea shops and of course Oxford University. While i have dreamed of going to Oxford (as i am sure every university student has done once or twice) seeing this magnificent city sprawling with 30 different colleges was really wonderful. Peter explained that there was a SSU student who went to Oxford for a graduate studies program and described how lonely the world of Oxford really can be. The silent undercurrent of a social hierarchy is still engrained into much of Oxford, and in part the wider English culture. Nevertheless it was fun to day dream about Harry Potters life at Hogwarts (which was filmed in a section of Oxford U) and try to imagine being an Oxford student. The history seemed to seeping out of every corner and street of the entire town it was fantastic! I also was able to go to Eagle and Child Pub, the pub that C.S. Lewis, J.R. Tolkien, and other infamous authors would meet weekly and discuss their newest book ideas, philosophy and regular life over a pint and fish and chips. It was INCREDIBLE!

While Oxford University may not be in my future, it was wonderful to visit and gave me a passion for returning and experiencing more of English life.

As we leave the open road…Mel Weatherhead

July 15, 2008 – 6:01 am
By mel weatherhead | Posted in Europe 2008 Comments (0)

Today, we pack our smelly bags full of our dirty clothes and get ready to head back to Canada in the morning. I think that I’m quite ready to be settled (in a way) again, though I know that as soon as it happens I’ll want to be off again, flying to some new destination.
Days on the road have been wonderful. I don’t think I could ask for a better group of people or leaders to be travelling with, but there comes a point when your body breaks down and you can no longer soak in another museum or cathedral. Perhaps my appreciation for the art, the genius and the incredible places we’ve been to will slowly soak in more over the next year, as I go into my fourth year and begin to process my situation in life, my place within the community I have been blessed to be a part of, and where I will go afterwards.
Before Europe, I thought I understood how valuable the SSU community was in my life. I now realize how little I knew then (and probably how little I know now), but these people around me have taught me how to love and forgive beyond what I thought I was capable of. Perhaps it’s the forced hours on the bus, falling asleep to distant (or very close) snoring, or coping on the days when you just want to be alone. In every way this community has taught me to forgive, to step out of my comforts and become a person I never thought I could be. Though I am still learning, I know that this experience will stay with me forever, it is changing the way I see the world and my place in it.
‘In community life we discover our own deepest wound and learn to accept it. So our rebirth can begin. It is from this very wound that we are born.’ -Jean Vanier, Community and Growth.

Nothing is Free in Europe – Hannah Beck

July 13, 2008 – 5:46 pm
By Hannah Beck | Posted in Europe 2008 Comments (0)

It all started as we were driving into Italy and were warned that a humble fee would probably be expected upon using the bathroom (Toilets, WC, Loo, etc.). It was said that there were people whose job it was to keep these facilities in a fair state and that paying to relieve yourself was a tradition that was started long ago and was passed on through time; so we accepted it and made sure that we had change in our pocket when nature called. Little did we know though, that this was only the beginning of a fee filled frenzy. Apparently this tradition started in Italy but has somehow been widely accepted by the other countries. Questionable.

Another beef I have is with paying to get into churches. Since when does God charge us to worship Him? As if he doesn’t have a hard enough time getting people to pay attention to him in the first place, we are now discouraging congregational worship by putting a cost on entering His temple. Of course, that is disregarding the fact that most people these days don’t enter these Cathedrals and Churches to worship God, but rather to take pictures and attempt a closer look into history. So, I guess I can’t say I blame them; but still, not free.

Next we have the internet. Oh boy the internet. Thankfully we’re at the ‘winvin’ right now (also known as the Winchester Vineyard) and we’ve been so lucky as to get free unlimited internet, a true luxury. I don’t have to put up with my increasing blood levels and heart beat as I watch my remaining internet time tick down before me, as if it’s counting down a time bomb. I’ve almost dropped as much money on the internet as I have on fresh pints of ‘real ale’ here in England.. and that’s saying something. I choose not to really count up how much I have actually spent on the internet so far as it might make me ill and make me realize how much I’m a child of the 21st century… but to paint a broad picture, there were times when an hour of internet cost more than the pay that I would receive for an hour of working at the Quik Pik (disclaimer: that was in grade 10). Needless to say I couldn’t bring myself to do that, so I would only use a half an hour.

And then there’s the ’sit in’ cost at restaurants: the fee placed on top of the regular price of an item that is implemented if you want to eat inside the restaurant. Why can’t I just sit and enjoy a coffee, that I already feel guilty about having because it’s my second or third that day, without dropping an extra 20 euro cents on it… ok sure, 20 cents really isn’t that much, but it sure adds up after a while. Well anyway, I decided to show them by buying that coffee to go and taking it outside and sitting on their sidewalk… sticking it to the man.

Obviously we would also have to pay to camp, no complaint there, but I have to start questioning what we’re paying for when we use the outlet to plug in the toaster in the morning and blow a fuse. One toaster! The least we can ask for when camping is a bit of electricity to make coffee and toast our bread; but I guess we would have had to upgrade to the supreme package to be able to plug in more than one thing at a time.

The last thing, and also the thing that inspired me to write this rant in the first place, is paying for hot water. I’ve been told that we actually got lucky on this trip in not having to pay for it as much as in the past; point taken, but I think there’s still room to rant. After taking a cold shower and coming to the point where I thought my brain might actually freeze, I decided to splurge and buy a shower token. Content with my decision and ready to relax in the shower, I popped my coin in the machine and started shampooing my hair. I had just about got the soap out when Bam! it was cold again. I paid a euro to get some hot water and it lasted all of 5 minutes, therefore taking away my ability to enjoy the shower and making me cold in the end anyways. Shouldn’t this be included in the camping price? They could at least try to pretend it is like the electricity..

Well that’s enough for now. I must say, as much as they charge extra for stuff in Europe, I’m actually quite ok with it because frankly, that’s what you do in Europe: spend money.

Understanding Equality – Dave McCallum

July 13, 2008 – 4:22 pm
By David J. McCallum | Posted in Europe 2008 Comments (0)

This is a response that I had to our visit to the Dachau concentration camp in Munich, Germany. I realize this was nearly three weeks ago but I think that the following poem that I wrote can be interpreted and applied in many different ways. It has to do with humanity’s equality and how it is accentuated in the most dire of circumstances.

The sweetness is not concerned with me.

Am I in denial when I say this?

I know that I always think that others are

When they say it or express it by their actions.

It seems like apathy is at the forefront of humanity.

When did it get that way?

We’ve become so disconnected with our fellow man!

So unconcerned with our neighbour’s life!

But somehow, at some points in history,

People remember the honey on their hands.

That the sweetness is concerned with them.

And at ground zero in the muck and the mire,

Someone reaches out their hand

To another who is hurting as much as they.

Mutuality is remembered.

Solidarity is recalled.

And the world slowly lifts up its head in hope.

canvas walls. – Ashley Warren

July 13, 2008 – 3:39 pm
By trashley | Posted in Europe 2008 Comments (0)

i wake up in the morning to stare at a canvas made shelter that surrounds me in four not so solid walls that gather and hold together at the top. despite their good intentions, i squint my eyes from the sun that they do not keep out, and roll over to search my thermarest for the areas in which they have let gushing waters of rain in. smacking my hand around the nearest canvas wall for those two metal friends that will part, just to let me out into the world of nature that holds me so tight as i sleep. slipping a flip-flop onto each foot, knowing they have survived the damp night, i know that i have too. for two months i have learned to live this life, and to love this life. and somehow it doesn’t all end here. that i can continue on in a day to shower, dress, and eat. i sit on a seat in a bus beside a friend, bag on back, pen in hand, ready for the world to take me as i am. the bus takes me to a place i will remember forever, that will teach me of things i never knew and that will leave me all the more knowledgeable than i was before. the friend that sits in the seat beside me, this friend i will remember forever, they will teach me of things i never knew and will leave me all the more knowledgeable than i was before. if we live our lives with eyes closed, what do we have to take from it, how can we move forward and when can we ever bless others with the blessings that have been handed to us? i have seen things on this trip that have hurt me, leaving me in pieces, some which have been left behind. i have seen things that have amazed me, leaving me like a child gazing upward, eyes still fixed on the wonders of this world. and i have seen things that have left me lying on the floor, tears welled in my eyes, holding my gut, for the pain of laughter is a pain i will love forever. we can paint a picture to reflect a thought, we can take a picture to hold onto a memory, but the truest and most beautiful ones you can only find buried in our hearts and sitting in that seat next to us on a bus that will take us to amazing places and that will show us the wonders of this world.

The End Isn’t Near, It’s Here – Sam Shantz

July 13, 2008 – 12:23 pm
By Shantz | Posted in Europe 2008 Comments (0)

The title of the final episode of my favourite TV show, and Five Iron Frenzy’s final CD seams fitting for the final leg of this journey, a journey that has gone by too fast to have been 2 months long. Just as you continue to revisit past episodes and classic songs, memories that now seam so far in the distance continue to pop up.

I remember the awe that the cathedrals I first saw in Spain inspired in me, and how I could never have imagined attending one for Sunday morning service. Then, seven weeks latter I was siting in Chartres Cathedral listening to the mass being sung in French. Back in the fall our whole group attended mass at a church in Malaysia. It was hard to know what to think because I couldn’t understand a single word. Sometimes I though I recognized the Apostle’s Creed, or the Lord’s Prayer, but other than that the service flew right by me without a wave, or a look back. This time however, I could understand everything, even sing along. I’ve never been so happy for those 12 years of French immersion in my life. It was incredible, and nothing like I expected. I’ve been attending the Catholic Church in St. Stephen, and still I was surprised by the way mass was conducted in Chartres. It started off which organ music coming out of nowhere. At first it was creepy, then reverent, and finally classic, like a Mozart symphony or a Harry Potter soundtrack. Then there was signing, one voice in French, coming through loudspeakers fixed to the stone pillars. Next the priest entered, preceded by incense (it smelt quite bad at first, but by the end of the service, I had gotten used to it). He sang, a girl sang, he sang, more incense, scripture reading, she sang, more incense, Apostle’s Creed, he talked, I left. That’s pretty much how the service went. I was unable to stay for the whole time because we had to leave, but I got a pretty good taste no the less.

I wonder how different it would have been back when the cathedral was first built, all those centuries in the past. when there where no pews, and the Nave was filled with illiterate peasants. When there was no sound system, and no organ. When it was done in Latin, not in French. Would there still have been incense? How loud would the choir had been? Would there have been a choir? Would the Priest have sung? What would he have said? How different would it be? I don’t have any answers to these questions, but as i continue to see new and different churches I continue to wonder what it was like back then.

You say Hello and I say goodbye – Katie Mott

July 13, 2008 – 12:12 pm
By katie mott | Posted in Europe 2008 Comments (0)

“Three more days and I will be home.” These words seem bittersweet as I repeat them to myself. In one respect I can’t wait to sleep in a bed that I don’t have to roll up every day, make a coffee and sit reading the newspaper in the morning, not eat a sandwich for lunch every day, not have to worry about the rain soaking the tent….But in other ways I have a longing to keep traveling. It is not only because I have loved experiencing other cultures through food, art and understanding the historical significance of the places I walk and the sites I see; it has been the people that I travel with that have made these past two months amazing. Every single person has added a unique dynamic to the group. From laughing in the rain, even after we haven’t seen a day of sun in ages, offering spare sweaters when the nights were especially cold, to jamming on the bus, it has been the people that i have come to love that have made this trip especially meaningful.

But a coffee by the ocean with friends and a meal with my family will be so good.

Reflections – Kristel Boeve

July 13, 2008 – 11:20 am
By Kristel Boeve | Posted in Europe 2008 Comments (0)

As our trip comes to an end I have been thinking back to all the different places we have been, and all that we have seen. It is pretty unbelievable to think that I was standing under a great Roman aqueduct in Segovia, burned myself in the hot sun on the Amalfi coast, saw works of art like the Mona Lisa, the David, or Primavera, toured through Versailles and sat down for a cold beer at the Hofbrauhaus in Munich…all in the past two months! And that is really just a small fraction of what I have done.

Now that it is almost over I wonder how my experiences will affect me over the next couple months, years and my life? I know that it has given me a broader perspective about the world as well as taking away some (and only some) of my ignorance giving me an appreciation for different cultures. But it has also allowed me to see the similarities between all people both the greatness possible in man as well as the evil we are capable of. From seeing structures like aqueducts and cathedrals and learning about people like Saint Francis of Assisi I have seen the genius and love that has been produced by mankind. But we have also visited places like the Dachau concentration camp and D-day beaches where I stood in the same place that horrific acts were executed. When we were in Assisi I remember standing at the highest point of the city and looking around at the endless hills and valleys and thinking it made sense that Francis found God so easily here in the beauty of nature. Then a couple weeks later we went to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest in the Austrian mountains and going into the bunker I was taken away by scenery just like in Assisi. But when I came out of the museum feeling very depressed having learned about the programs Hitler and the Nazi’s put into place in the countries the controlled I looked around at the mountains again and felt confused. How could equally beautiful places both be the cites of such opposite thinking? I don’t understand how such opposite extremes can exist in the world, or how man can be possible of both. These questions came up for me again and again throughout the trip but I am no where close to an answer yet. I don’t know if I ever will be.

one great story from an SSU student traveling the world who forgot where she was for a moment and the unthinkable occurred – shannonmay pringle

July 12, 2008 – 8:27 am
By shannonmay | Posted in Europe 2008 Comments (1)

once upon a time a group of university students were let loose in the great Parisian art museum, the louvre; this was after already having spent months studying about art history and traveling throughout Europe to see masterpieces and various works of genius.  so, you would think one would know how to conduct herself in a grand gallery such as the louvre.

there was so much to see that day; great works by Leonardo da Vinci - the Mona Lisa, Saint John the Baptist, Madonna on the rocks - and other famous works including the Venus de Milo, the winged victory, cupid and psyche, and Medusa’s raft.  to see these works first hand was phenomenal and overwhelming at times. to think that one was standing before works of genius that have inspired others for hundreds of years; the hidden messages about God, humanity, their realation to one another and to society,  and all the liberties that humans have fought for and spoken out about pierces the soul to react, provoking change within the viewer…i hope.

one masterpiece in particular that brought excitement to this appreciative student of art was the ’ship of fools’ by Hieronymus Bosch;  a painting which depicts the folly and foolishness of mankind, leaving no one with mercy - two main characters are a priest and a nun. his message, we assume, is to say that all of humanity in some way or another has spent time in the ship of fools. Bosch’s inspiration for this painting possibly comes from a German poem with the same name. i was most excited to view this painting for i am a fan of Bosch.

after searching around for fifteen minutes for this painting (the gallery map was wrong) i stumbled upon the painting along with my classmates and professor peter.  this was when conduct was thrown out the window and the unthinkable occurred.

i was exhausted; i was excited; i forgot where i was; i was just as shocked as everyone else when it happened…

…as i was examining the painting up close and discussing some of the symbolism with peter, i neglected to notice that i was leaning against the very same wall that the painting hung on. as i motioned towards the painting to ask Pete about the roasted chicken hanging in the tree, bump went my hand and the painting began to swing; it was hung onto a board the suspended from the ceiling. oh thank goodness it did not fall. oh but what is that sound…is that an alarm…?

two guard-women entered the room, speaking in french, checking cupboards to identify where the alarm was originating. i backed away from the painting along with everyone else in the tiny room. suddenly the women returned, shouting in french to evacuate the room immediately for they are shutting down the entire section - someone has attempted to steal a painting.

what have i done, i thought to myself; i should know better for this is not how to conduct oneself in a world famous, world class art gallery.  worried that Pete was upset with me, and that he now thought i was a fool who belonged on Bosch’s ship, i sheepishly apologized; he said not to worry – so what if i bumped and potentially damaged a  $60 million dollar painting, at least i have a great story to tell.

and there you have one great story from an SSU student traveling the world who forgot where she was for a moment and the unthinkable occurred.

Building Sandcastles and Climbing Trees – Holli Durost

July 12, 2008 – 8:20 am
By Holli Durost | Posted in Europe 2008 Comments (0)

In a place as beautiful and and scenic as Austria, it is difficult for me to image it during the years of 1933-1945, when Hitler used the mountainous regions as a place to conspire against the opposition.  The museum located in the former documentation center was very interesting, but of all the information I received I was particularly struck by a children’s book that promoted the purification of the German people and warned against the nature of the Jewish people.  Even the depiction of German and Jewish children was disturbing:  German children were depicted bright and blonde, and made great playmates because they shared everything, while, the Jewish children were portrayed with mean eyes, frowns, and made horrible playmates as they pushed and shoved and kept all the toys to themselves.  I image this book being read to innocent German children as they get ready to close their eyes and sleep.  So sad.  This sort of indoctrination seems to me to be the worst, as children are the most innocent of all. 

 While I am in no place to fully understand how easy it was for so many to believe that one race should take over all others, I am grateful for those who, after realizing the injustice and wrong, turned to fight against it and did not stay silent.  In this way, I am motivated to fight on the behalf of the marginalized and the oppressed.  It sounds ideal, I know, but it’s not impossible.  As artists we can fight with paint, with colours.  As songwriters and musicians we can fight with the songs we compose, hopefully motivating people to think critically about the decisions the government is making; to ask the question:  Is this the best we can do for our society?  What can we do to change things?

 I don’t want to be a martyr of anything (at least, not at this point) and I’m not asking for trouble, but I don’t want to be blinded by comfort, or by the problems that exist around me.  I want to make the World-Playground a place where everyone can play, building sandcastles and climbing trees.

In Transit To Paris – Zoe Fitch

July 11, 2008 – 6:01 pm
By Zoe Fitch | Posted in Europe 2008 Comments (0)

Since we’ve been running low on propane for our camp stoves, we had to dedicate a piece of our transit day toward finding a gas station that would exchange our empty tank for a full one…This ended up being a much more extended venture than anticipated. As it happened, we had to drive back and forth between Germany and France.

I found it so interesting that the only indicator that we had crossed the boarder between the two were the languages on the roads signs and billboards. Our seemingly endless quest to find a propane tank turned itself into an excellent example of the effects that the European Union has had on these two nations.

Although its history is somewhat vague, the EU and its roots can basically be traced back to the once hostile boarder that we had been crossing so peacefully and even unknowingly this morning. Following the Second World War, the people and governments of Europe were in desperate need of an extended period of peace. As the aggression and resentment in Europe was most concentrated in French-German relations, it was used as the initiation of the solution. The European Coal and Steel Community, an experiment in trade between these two nations, succeeded in dissolving the economic barrier between them. Somehow, the European Union, as loosely formed and vaguely stated as it is, has brought peace through Capitalism.

hollow men, rebellion and the tyranny of democracy – Zach Smith

July 11, 2008 – 5:58 pm
By Zachari Smith | Posted in Europe 2008 Comments (0)

Descartes said “we rebel, so we are”

This correlates well with my troubling visit to Dachau where i wrote this poem sitting under a tree.

pain gives way

human: to grow upon

the reception of love.

with power our everyday evil

becomes reality,

our slave owning tendencies

do come true, our hate is

fully realized.

“this is the way the world ends,

this is the way the world ends”

with a failed assassination

and a million blind eyes.

A basic part of being human is the ability to rebel, to stand up to tyranny . This defines the ages, the dictators can only put their subjects down like animals for so long before humanity rises up. For example, the Velvet Revolution and on the grandest scale WWII. The problem, i think, is that rebellion is always a last resort. Our North American unwillingness to rebel has lost us the respect of the politicians who no longer fear us; we fear them.

What Television Can’t Deliver – Lindsay Roszell

July 9, 2008 – 9:10 am
By lindsey roszell | Posted in Europe 2008 Comments (0)

Nothing can compare to what I have experienced in the last 6 weeks of travelling through Western Europe. No textbook or television show could ever give me the tastes, smells, and interchangeable conversations with foreigners that have come as we’ve passed through Spain, Italy, Germany and so on. After a heavy semester of long working hours preceding this travel term I thought this time might allow me to catch my breathe – I was wrong. I am grateful for some of the long travel days on the bus, because they allow me to sort through the intense days that we have that are filled with museums, lectures, cultural interactions, and thoughts of where all of this fits into my academic and personal life. A couple of weeks ago we were in Prague and took some time to visit the Communist Museum which to this point had hit me the hardest. Communism was something that completely devestated this city and country, where men and women my age were fighting for a freedom that I’ve only ever known. As we walked down main streets I couldn’t seem to wrap my mind around the fact that not even twenty years ago these streets were filled with violent demonstrations. I have never had to fight for anything like that in my life. For a day or two I struggled with this thought, feeling ashamed for the comfortable and luxurious lifestyle I live in Canada. I also felt increasingly angry at those world leaders in the world that have caused so much anguish in peoples lives. People like Stalin, Hitler, Lenin, the Apartheid in South Africa…and war in general. However, then after hearing Pete Fitch talk about healing in the midst of anger and brutality, I realized that we continue to kick hope as long as we hold onto our anger. As soon as we lay our anger down, that is when freedom and hope can fully be embraced. Not an easy thing to do, but I’m learning how important it is in my own life.

The Voyage Across the English Channel – Charles Carmody

July 9, 2008 – 9:09 am
By Charles Carmody | Posted in Europe 2008 Comments (0)

Yesterday we got up Sparrow Fart early (this is an expression i learned from Chris our Australian bus driver, and apparently its an expression they use to express getting up at ungodly hours in the morning, much like our saying ‘the early bird gets the worm’ but Chris assures me that sparrows fart way earlier than birds getting worms) yesterday morning and headed to the ferry that would be taking us to merry old England.  Of course it rained all night long creating a small river through the middle of the tent and continued raining while we packed the bus.  It seems that we have been cursed by rain on this trip, or maybe blessed i have not decided which yet, but as I type this I am sitting in Bath with drenched pants and soaking wet socks because of the constant downpour since nine this morning.  Anyways, all of my previous ferry rides have been quite enjoyable and I was quite excited about being on the sea once again.  We all boarded the ship and began to explore and the cars and boats were loaded on the bottom.  This was no more ferry, it had its own movie theatre with movies like Iron Man, which i proudly saw.  She was quite a fine vessel, however, she did not handle the giant rolling waves very well that day.  Less than halfway into the trip more than half of our team was either in the bathrooms puking or sprawled out on benches trying to ignore the constant rocking that was churning their stomachs.  I had the privilege of trying to make lunch while massive rollers exploded against the side of the boat.  I nearly got sick on the ham i was trying to cut and groans were let out by everyone the minute Mel opened up the bag of cheese.  Lets just say not that many people ate lunch.

We finally found our refuge top deck where the wind and fresh air seemed to soothe even the sickest of stomachs.  We laughed, pretended like we were super heroes as we opened our jackets to the whipping winds, and rolled around on the helicopter pad.  We saw the white cliffs of Dover as we pulled into port and just made terrible circumstances into a wonderful day.

That is one thing that I have enjoyed most about our group; the ability to laugh and smile in the worst of situations.   We are a resilient bunch, and we certainly have been through a lot together.  It makes me sad to think that in a week I will have to say good-bye to these friends, this family, but I will always remember this trip, and I know that I have grown exponentially in the last two months.

Artists and Exploitation – Mel Weatherhead

July 9, 2008 – 7:05 am
By mel weatherhead | Posted in Europe 2008 Comments (0)

As this trip comes to a close i realize it’s time for me to put a post up here. It is nice to feel a little bit connected with your community back home when you’re on the road for 2 months.

A reflection that has been recurring in my mind is that of the exploitation of the artist. With an artist as a sister (and a really good one: jessweatherhead.com…ahem), I recognize that many artists paint certain ‘masterpieces’ as private and very personal pieces. I know Jess has a few select paintings or even sketches that probably I haven’t even seen. I’ve noticed this in a few different museums that we’ve been to. One that stands out to me is at the Prado in Spain where we saw Goya’s Black Paintings. What little I know of them is that they were painted on the walls of his house, making me assume that they weren’t intended to be taken down or sold or displayed elsewhere. It’s really hard to judge now what Goya had intended with these paintings, but I like to believe that they were for his own private collection and I felt weird walking through the display and seeing these personal, haunting pieces. I am selfishly glad that they are exposed to the public because they are absolutely incredible, but if he intended them for himself and no-one else what would he feel today if he walked into the Prado and saw them there with thousands of tourists streaming through daily? Raped, exploited, exposed to the world? It’s like framing someones journal and broadcasting it to the world. Just a thought that I’m developing. I’m seeing it more and more with the extensive museum visits and have just been questioning artist intent and how we deal with that nowadays.

Hope all is well on the home-front.

Supermarkets – Jennifer Ngo

July 9, 2008 – 6:54 am
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We spend a lot of time in supermarkets on this trip. Well, at least I do. Every few days, one would hear, “Today’s a shopping day. Teams Tyler, Katie and Ben will be shopping. Everyone else, please meet at the cashier at…” so on so forth.

Supermarkets definitely give us a glimpse of the culture we drove our trusty Taeter Mercedes Bus into. In Vienna, I was pushed aside twice at a small but comprehensive supermarket, as people twirled around me in a frenzy — it was the only market open in the area on Sundays. The supermarkets in Italy are generally huge, with nice laid-back cashier ladies, who would leisurely ring in our foodstuff with manicure hands. The supermarket in Munich had a big section with stacks of any-kind-of-beer imaginable in crates. It is interesting to see mothers lugging their drooling two-year-olds and balancing a bag of groceries on their hip, as we dash into the wine department for a bottle of French Bordeaux and an avocado to spice up the lunch sandwich.

It’s a comfort to find some of the same food we can get at home, only under different brands. It’s also a joy to discover new food, like antipasto to go with bread, and a multitude of cheeses. But it is true, that we dine like kings in Europe. Everyone is a certified chef.

Sunflowers – Karis Taylor

July 9, 2008 – 6:54 am
By karisktaylor | Posted in Europe 2008 Comments (0)

When I was eleven years old I painted Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers. Ten years later, I stood in front of the real thing at the Neue Pinakothek in Munich. How can I express how important this moment was for me? When I painted it before, I worked from a glossy little postcard. My art teacher told me to apply the paint thickly. She should have told me to slather color on without thought of wasting paint, letting my tormented artistic genius, starving for the sake of beauty pour her soul onto the canvas (just like Van Gogh did). Standing before Sunflowers, I realized all over again how wonderful this Europe trip is. We get to see, face to face,  “the real thing”. I would have given anything to bring my eleven year old self into the room, with her canvas and paints. But maybe the whole reason I appreciate it so much now is because for so long all I knew was a postcard. All I knew of Europe were the books I read, and now I’m driving through countryside and seeing old buildings that I’ve carried in my imagination my whole life. It is incredible. I am so thankful–this is something I never dreamed I would get to do, and now this experience is as real as “the real things”.

-Karis

Rainy – Dana VanVeller

July 9, 2008 – 6:41 am
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here we are in rainy England…  one week from flying home.

If i wrote about what i think of the trip from my mindset right now, it would probably be full of curse words and frustrated sighs.  we woke up in a puddle… our dear little tent failed us at our last campsite… it continues to rain all day, all day, all day.  However, life is not all bad…. thinking back on the trip as a whole… I have been pretty overwhelmed at how interested I have been in everything… it seems I cannot take enough notes or pictures to properly document everything that I have seen or experienced.

We went to visit WW2 memorial sites the other day and spent the day appreciating the great sacrifice and intelligence that saved the world from a corrupt regime from continuing on.  We saw the cliffs were the allies had to climb up in order to take down German soldiers… we saw the d-day beaches where people emerged from their underwater hiding… we saws rows and rows of white crosses marking the graves of thousands.  

it was here that i think i finally understood what Allessandro Barrico wrote about in his ‘Note on War’ where he speaks of the beauty of war.  I never understood it and could not accept that there were beautiful aspects of war.  But it is in these moments that these men showed immense courage and ability.  I suppose it is these moments that Barrico speaks of, not the loss of life and brutal violence, but the instances of individual victory and courage. 

well…. on to the Roman Baths…

pray for sun

Dachau Today – Sam Wollenberg

July 5, 2008 – 12:09 pm
By s.wollenberg | Posted in Europe 2008 Comments (0)

Despite the misleadings of my title, today was not the day I visited Dachau. This post comes a week and a bit later due to some undeniable procrastination and my tendency to process and understand emotions a bit further down the road. Dachau for me today, in our current society, is what stuck with me the most this past week and really got me thinking about how we, as individuals and collectively, deal with tragedy and evil on such a grand scale.

Having a reasonably large understanding of WWII and the holocaust prepared me somewhat for what i was going to see and although the images of the prisoners and their treatment brought a deeper connection, i wasn`t completely ruined. I was more interested in the actions taken after the liberation of the camp in 1945 by American troops. One of the first questions to myself upon entering the camp was “how could one possible move on from here?” It shocked me to find out at the end of the museum section that the general mentality surrounding Dachau and much of Germany was “Repress and Forget”. The town of Dachau even began building apartment buildings on the concentration camp property shortly after the war. It wasn’t until a group of previous prisoners spoke up for the creation of a memorial site in 1965 that a serious plan was put into action. Memories and emotions were repressed in hopes that history would erase itself.

It is quite obvious that this mentality wasn’t entirely successful and consequences came and people were brought to a level of justice. And while ” Never Forget” can seem cliche and ineffective sometimes, current reminders of our past are; i think, an effective way of combating repetitive mistakes. Time is up but i hope to wrap up some of my still unprocessed thoughts in my next post.

Kunsthaus Museum, Zurich; The Earth is Not a Cold, Dead Place

July 5, 2008 – 11:45 am
By Charles Carmody | Posted in Europe 2008 Comments (0)

It is true that we weer in Zurich over a week ago, but my Internet access has been limited and my ability to blog severely poor. The Kunsthuas has been by far one of my favorite art museums thus far. I learned that it existed when i picked up a postcard in Munich and saw Kunsthaus written on the back of it; the postcard was of a statue of one of my favorite artists, Alberto Giacometti, and once i learned of its existence I knew I had to visit the museum in Zuirch. The following is taken from my journal after visiting the Kunsthaus. Everything about the Kunsthaus was marvelous; the architecture, staff, layout of art pieces, and of course the art itself. I got to see Alberto Giacommetti, a sculptor and painter who died in the 60s. His sculptures are usually these tiny, emaciated, dilapidated, figures, and he has a special technique in which he drips bronze on them once they are almost completed. He begins with a giant piece of ,material in front of him, but he always whittles them down into almost nothingness. He is trying to find the true being inside the material and this seems to usually take him quite some time. He does not seem to be so concerned about his pieces aesthetic beauty, but that they convey truth; true emotion. I also saw so many other artists i love; Lichtenstein, an American pop artist, one of Warhol’s Campbell soup cans, Degas, Renoir, a plethora of pieces by the crazy Jewish artist Chagall, Liebermann, Matisse, and the list goes on for quite some time so I will stop there. Each artist is taking the world and portraying it in their own way. They are pushing the limits of human imagination, expressing a message whether it be political or philosophical, and they are trying to solidify just a tiny fragment of time and space in their works. Why do we love art so much? What is it that pushes humans to create? Your guess is as good as mine. However, i definitely believe that we were created as creative beings, and we can choose to use our creativity to bring beauty to the Earth and life out of the cold dead places in our hearts.

Anyways, I have thoroughly enjoyed visiting all of the art museums and trying to tackle the question what is art?

Dachau Reflections – Katie Mott

July 5, 2008 – 11:22 am
By katie mott | Posted in Europe 2008 Comments (0)

This was written while I was visiting Dachau, the first concentration camp that was set up in Germany and was the prototype for all the other camps.

Deviation meant death

Medical research slaughter

and i cry

not only for their pain

But for all those who suffer

silently overlooked

all i can do is write

this paper will decompose

like the bodies of those in pain

and my cries , like theirs

will be unheard

[Here I sit , under the arms of a great spruce

but I feel no hope]

after writing this I went and looked at the Jewish memorial, that has no windows, but one opening in the roof. Standing inside looking at the beam of light coming in, i realized there is hope;

the merging of histories – Zach Smith

July 5, 2008 – 11:19 am
By Zachari Smith | Posted in Europe 2008 Comments (0)

I’ve been thinking about the history of Christianity and it’s relation to the even more distant past. We saw in Siena, Italy a place where ancient Greek thought was mixed with the history of Christianity. The engineers of this church believed that Virgil and Dante were prophets of christian thought.

I think this thinking is really amazing and it can really help a Christian today. When we believe that this prophetic good can come from non-Christians I think our worldview is much more Chirst like. Our eyes can be open to the beauty and truth that comes from all kinds of poeple.

Girls Night! – Holli Durost

July 4, 2008 – 11:36 am
By Holli Durost | Posted in Europe 2008 Comments (0)

hey everyone.
hanging out in Paris, getting ready for a much needed GIRLS NIGHT::::boo rah.

so. i just finished making my way through the Louvre, where i saw some some amazing works of art. one being the young martyr by delaroche…not to say the Mona Lisa was…not cool.

anyway, traveling Europe is crazy. i wish i had better words to describe all that i am experiencing, but i will say that i am finding lots of time for myself, enjoying my friends and the ideas they share; and finding time to play music, write and worship.

I miss St. Stephen and i am waiting in anticipation for chocolate fest!