Heroes and Mystics 2026

On March 26th, Dr. Redick brought in a guest speaker for us in the form of former professor at CNU, Carlton. He said we could call him Carlton or that we could call him Holy Father because he was a priest. I personally was not about to call him holy father because I had never called anybody Holy Father in my entire life but people can do what they want and that is chill. He this really large candle with him that he lit at the start of his talk and it was burning the entire way throughout. He asked for every student to give him 3 words that described their feelings at the time, I thought it was pretty neat to be honest and there was something about him that made me kinda wanna be honest and not give him a lame answer, so I took that pretty seriously. He talked about these different things like love, and told this story about this guy that kept saying "Hmmm, we shall see" which was also pretty neat and something I enjoyed a good bit. He also talked a lot about his past, growing...

 The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse is unusual in that you can begin reading from anywhere in the book. Whether from the beginning, end, or anywhere in the middle, it provides a meaningful look at the journey. While they are on a physical journey through the woods and through a storm, it can be interpreted as any of many journeys. The boy is searching for a home, including what home actually is. The mole is moving past his initial greed in order to benefit his found friends. The fox was fearful at first and had to be rescued from a trap. He learns how to be vulnerable and let down his shields. The horse is the wisest and seemingly oldest. He provides comfort and support to the other members. In return, they help him feel comfortable with who he truly is. I tend to go to a favorite page or quote when I am having bad days. The journey comes with challenges, but this book reminds me that I can be helped by people along the way.

 "i am not a violent dog...i do not know why i bite"- Chief Chief is a stray dog in the Wes Anderson movie Isle of the Dogs. He explains that his friends think that he like to fight but that isn't true. He actually is a protector, but he hasn't been given the chance to be soft. He grew up being forced to be violent and now he does not know how not to be. I feel like this happens too often among humans. There are certain patterns that demand to be filled. Gentle people are raised in violent households. In the case of Chief he becomes a security dog. When he is protecting the boy he does not always have to be violent, but he is given a reason to bite when needed. He needed to find a way to redirect those learned patterns towards healing rather than fighting. 

 Over the Garden Wall is a strange, almost horror(?) animated children's show. In it Wirt, Greg, Beatrice, and Jason Funderburker (frog, not boy) are thrown together on a strange, dark path. Wirt goes through a classic hero's journey in order to overcome insecurity. The call comes when Wirt, Greg, and Jason get lost in the woods after fleeing a graveyard full of cops. Their aid comes in the form of Beatrice, and girl turned bird, who is being forced to serve a witch. They go through many tests, including the woodsman, a schoolteacher, and a strange pumpkin headed village. In the end, Wirt has to face The Beast in order to get home. The Beast is like a physical manifestation of his own self-doubt. Only after he overcomes the beast do they wake up in the hospital returned to their own world. 

 Noah Kahan released a new album this weekend. I was listening to it in the car when my roommate commented on how I was always listening to sad music. We have very opposite music tastes. She loves upbeat early 2000s music, while I choose songs that I relate more to. It made me think that maybe she didn't understand my music because we didn't have the same experiences. I listen to music as a way to process and regulate my feelings, and she loves more 'fun' music. One song in particular confused her. It was Dashboard. To me it was how even though you may escape a situation, you feel like you can't escape yourself. Also, how it feels being the only one to get out of an abusive home. I explained why it was meaningful to me and she seemed confused as to why I would purposefully sit in that sadness. I didn't know how to explain that one of the main ways that I move through things is through music. I find it interesting how two people can listen to the exact same song,...

 Rollo May "The Significance of Symbols" "Clinical data supports the thesis that man is uniquely the symbol-using organism, and is distinguished from the rest of nature and animal by this fact."  It's surprised that out of so many life forms on Earth, only one has been shown to use symbols. While we are the only ones using symbols, there seems to be a deep disconnect in communication. Why are we able to find symbols and attempt to make meaning of of selves in a world, yet so oblivious of communication between animals or even other humans? Has our ability to look within blinded us to the outside? Or do so few humans pay attention and actually search within. How are we so dedicated to determining our place in the world, and yet let other forms of discovery and communication pass us by?

 In Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, Minli has the opportunity to find the answer to any question she seeks. At first, she wanted to use it for her and her family, to bring riches and honor. However, she instead asked to help her friend, Dragon. In transferring the reward from her to her friend, she unwittingly helped her whole village. The reward was never meant for one person, but the journey was set to test the selflessness of the hero. A boon is some gift or reward that the hero brings back at the end of their journey. In Minli's case, she was only able to  receive the boon by giving it away. 

 The main  Percy Jackson  book series was something that I became obsessed with when I was nine, and it caused me to become really interested in Greek mythology. My interest in Greek mythology made me want to take this class. When I was reading Percy Jackson  while growing up, I had also watched the movies, which I was just as obsessed with. I will always appreciate this series because it made me have an interest in something that's actually very cool. It's also something that I have not grown out of, it just became something that I find fascinating. So, I appreciate the series and the author for getting me interested in such a cool subject.

 The book Throne of Glass  by Sarah J. Maas is a great depiction of a protagonists interior and exterior journeys. The protagonist Celaena was raised to be an assassin and spent her teenage years as one. She got sent to a mining camp as a prisoner/slave, but she was later released in order to serve the King as his assassin. Throughout this exterior journey, Celaena experiences a conflicting internal journey. She tries to uphold her own values while also maintaining her deal with the King, who wants Celaena to do his dirty work. Celaena's conflicting duties put her through emotional turmoil and makes her decide if she's going to abide by her values or the King's duties. This journey she goes on shows her determination and strength, and it's something that can be learned from.

  The Hobbit  is a classic book that is full of adventure. Bilbo's call to action came to him when Gandalf came to his door and recruited him for a quest to reclaim the treasure from Smaug. Bilbo's routine was shattered and he had to choose between a stable and secure life or a risky journey. Gandalf's talk of adventure was very tempting for Bilbo and he ended up choosing to go on this journey. Throughout their journey to reclaim the treasure, Bilbo undergoes an internal journey for himself. He discovers that he is much more adventurous than he thought, and he wants to go on these journeys. He takes more initiative and becomes a stronger person. His internal journey is something that is admirable and it shows his growth as a person.

 The book called Educated  by Tara Westover is a memoir about Tara's own life. I read it when I was a junior in high school for a class, and it ended up becoming one of my favorite books. Tara's story was very raw and emotional, and the growth that Tara experienced throughout the story was admirable. She came from a household that was abusive and strict, and was radical in their beliefs. She didn't get an education growing up and "homeschooled," although her parents never really taught her anything. She taught herself and managed to get into college, and eventually got her PhD. After publishing Educated , Tara's family has turned against her for exposing them, calling her a liar and manipulator. I think the growth and determination that Tara showed in her memoir as well as the aftermath of publishing the book is astonishing. She learned many lessons throughout her life and shared them in her book, and it's something that I really enjoyed reading about.

In Pedagogy of the Oppressed , Paulo Freire explores education as being oppressive to people by defining them as information receptors. When teachers stand at the board and simply spew out material, this fosters a classroom environment where students no longer need to learn the material; students are now just expected to absorb information and file it away in their memory, just to reiterate the same knowledge on their future exams. By these means, education is constricting the value of being a true student, thus becoming oppressive. One of his philosophies is problem-posing education which is a liberating alternative to traditional teaching methods. It is a method of teaching that encourages critical thinking by treating education as the "practice of freedom," where students are active participants rather than passive recipients. From my high school experience, my Technology in Education teacher was a very hands-on person. He believed that while we had to complete the communi...

Reflecting back on this semester, having the guest speaker come to class was truly one of my most exciting experiences as an honors student. I felt pretty called out when our class discussion commenced with the notion that in order for one to start a journey, they have to let go of the person they are to be the person they want to be. For me, I have been craving change in my life through my college experiences, but in some circumstances, I haven’t been able to grow in the ways that I had desired. However, I have since learned that I can only start my new journey of life as an independent college student once I let go of the negative habits and attributes that are holding me back. Additionally, I truly enjoyed the ten attributes activity! Planning for my future has always been a constant in my life, especially when it comes to my family. Thinking about the attributes that I want my children to have by the time they are twenty-one seemed daunting at first, but with the help of my classma...

 The book Circe  by Madeline Miller is one of my favorite books. It tells a story of morality, self-discovery, and appreciation of life. In most fiction, the Greek goddess Circe is depicted as a villain. In this book, we get to read her story from her perspective. It showed how she grew up without receiving love or acceptance from her parents, the troubling journeys she had to go on after being exiled, and how she overcame those challenges. She learned to adapt to the life that was given to her and make it into her own. This is a lesson and story that I really appreciated reading, and it's something that has stuck with me.

In our most recent class discussion of nature on the Appalachian Trail, we brought up the harm of anthropomorphizing the animals that inhabit our environment. As explorers on journeys on the AT and various other trails, we have to respect nature by not inhibiting it, and thus not engaging in anthropomorphic activities. In order to prevent these harmful actions, it is important to understand the triggers for anthropomorphizing. The first trigger is perception. We often do this when something looks and behaves in human-like ways, has motion similar to the human pace, and simply has similarity to ourselves. Relating other animals to aspects of ourselves, puts us in a dangerous place for anthropomorphizing the wildlife we see on our hikes. Secondly, our explanation of animals’ behaviors also prompts anthropomorphism. Unexpected performances and outcomes as well as complexity of creature’s behaviors cause us to fall into this dangerous trap. Lastly, our social connections are our greatest d...

     I have been thinking lately about why some people crave routine while others seem allergic to it. Many around me are constantly chasing something new: a new place, a new experience, a new version of themselves. I am not like that. I find deep comfort in the familiar. I used to wonder if that made me boring or unambitious, but I have come to see it differently. Routine is not the absence of a journey, it is its own kind of anchor. It is what lets me show up fully every day without spending all my energy adjusting to constant change. I feel as though change absorbs my energy and makes me stagnant, which you would expect to be the opposite. I’m unsure how to get out of a funk like that, or how to journey past routine and expect the unexpected.

     It seems like everyone around me is desperate to leave. Friends moving across the country for college, my best friend joining the Air Force, people counting down the days until they can get as far from home as possible. I have never felt that way. My university is five minutes from my house and I chose that intentionally. I think there is a certain kind of person who finds their peace close to home, and I am one of them. The journey that everyone else seems to be chasing does not call to me the same way. I know my streets, I know my people, I know where I belong. There is something grounding about that which I do not think gets celebrated enough. I am not running from anything, and I am not actively searching for something out there. Whatever I am meant to find, I believe it will find me here.

     Coming from a STEM background, most of my academic life has been spent solving problems that have definitive answers. There is comfort in that: a right and a wrong, a formula, a result. What I did not realize until recently is how much that shaped the way I think, or more accurately, how much it limited it. Taking this class has been the first time I have genuinely sat with questions that have no clean answer. What makes someone a hero? What does a journey mean? What do myths tell us about who we are? These are not questions you solve, they are questions you live with. I think spending so many years only in STEM classes left a gap in the way I process the world around me. I could analyze it but I could not always find meaning in it. This class has started to fill that gap, and I find myself thinking more deeply about things I would have previously just accepted at face value. It is a different kind of intelligence, and I am glad I am finally being exposed to it.

     In my microbiology class we read Hug et al., a paper that presented a completely new view of the tree of life. Using genomic data from over a thousand previously unknown organisms, the researchers dramatically expanded our understanding of life's diversity, revealing that the majority of life on earth belongs to bacteria we have never even seen or cultured. What struck me most was how confidently we thought we understood life before this. The tree of life is one of the most fundamental concepts in biology, and yet it was missing most of the picture. This reminded me of something we explore constantly in our class, the idea that our understanding of the world is always incomplete, always evolving. Myths and stories existed to explain what people did not understand, and as understanding grew, the stories changed. Science works the same way. What we think we know is always just the best version of the story we have right now. Hug et al. humbled me in the same way mythol...

     In an honors course on the Evolution of Physics, we explored cosmology and how humans first understood the universe. What struck me most when I began the class was that the study of astrology began with people simply looking up. The night sky was one of the earliest primordial experiences humans shared, and because they had no scientific framework to explain what they saw, they turned it into something greater. The stars and sky became attached to myths and legends we hear today. This connects deeply with our class as stories don’t come from nowhere, but from humans trying to make sense of things beyond understanding. The sky was the first thing that demanded an explanation, and storytelling was the only tool they had.

     The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot tells the story of a woman whose cancer cells were taken without her knowledge or consent and went on to become one of the most important tools in modern medicine. Her cells, known as HeLa, have contributed to countless scientific breakthroughs, yet Henrietta herself died not knowing any of it, and her family lived in poverty for decades without ever seeing a benefit from what her body gave the world.      Henrietta's story is a journey unlike any Campbell describes, because she never took a single step of it consciously. The journey happened through her, not because of her. There was no call to adventure, no choice, no return. Just a woman who became immortal without ever getting the chance to agree to it. It raises a question that Campbell never really addresses: what happens when the journey belongs to someone who never got to claim it? Henrietta changed the world, but at a cost she never agree...

     Santa by Federico Gamboa is the story of a young woman who is seduced, shamed, and cast out of her hometown, eventually finding herself in the streets of Mexico City where her life slowly unravels. It is one of the most compelling stories I have ever read. Looking at Santa through the lens of Campbell's hero's journey, her story follows the same structure but leads somewhere entirely different. She is called out of her ordinary world, she crosses a threshold into an unknown one, and she is tested at every turn. But where Campbell's hero returns home transformed and triumphant, Santa never returns. Her journey is one of descent rather than ascent; from innocence, to ruin, to death. She has all the markings of a hero but none of the glory. It made me wonder whether Campbell's framework only works for those the world decides to root for. Santa goes through just as much, if not more, than any traditional hero. The difference is that nobody was waiting to celebrate her ...

     In a previous class I read Think Again by Adam Grant, a book about the importance of rethinking what we believe and staying open to changing our minds. Grant describes different mindsets people fall into: the preacher, the prosecutor, the politician, and the scientist. The scientist is the one who stays open, questions assumptions, and is willing to be wrong.      This connects directly to what we explore in class. A hero cannot complete their journey without being willing to rethink who they are. The whole point of the journey is transformation, and transformation requires letting go of old beliefs and identities. A hero stuck in the preacher or prosecutor mindset would never grow. What Grant calls the scientist mindset is essentially what a hero needs to embark on any meaningful journey. You cannot be transformed by an experience you are not open to. Reading this book before taking this class made me realize that rethinking is not a sign of weakness...

     In my naturalism class we read Piña by Emilia Pardo Bazan, a short story about a monkey named Piña who is taken from her tropical home and brought to Spain. She is dressed up, caged, and eventually given a mate who abuses her. When they are finally separated, she seems happier, but when she escapes her enclosure, she confuses the cold Spanish night for her warm tropical home and dies from exposure.      The story left me with one big question: was Piña's journey ever really hers? Every step of it was decided by someone else. She never chose to leave her forest, never chose her mate, and even her one act of freedom led to her death because she had been so removed from her true environment that she could no longer survive in it. In our class we talk about journeys that transform and complete a person. Piña's journey did the opposite. It raises the question of whether a journey can even count as one if the person never had any say in it. Some journeys are...

In my past honors class, I read Mindwise by Nicholas Epley where he examined how humans are overconfident in their ability to know others’ minds and their thinking. This confidence extends to understanding the thoughts and answers of friends, coworkers, and romantic partners—a confidence that also increases in proportion to the length of time knowing one another. In an experiment described by Epley, the gap that was apparent existed between “how much partners actually knew about each other and how much they believed about each other.” In our class discussions we have explored interior versus exterior journeys—journeys that separate the spiritual and emotional. With this, Epley exemplifies how interiority is truly separate from exteriority, especially concerning beliefs; what we internally believe is not really what is externally true. Additionally, knowing oneself and personal journeys can make us feel overconfident about our perception and knowledge of those around us. This inapprop...

In my travels, I have felt  something close to what Thoreau described and what is explored in American Camino: communion with something larger than myself, a clarity that only comes when you step far enough outside your comfort zone . Communion comes in the moments when you are closest to what Paulo Coelho calls "the soul of the world." In my journey, I have come to realize the profound significance of life and our place in its history. The incredible thing about the "hero's adventure" that we discuss in class is that it is the story of all of us. I understand communion as almost a transcension of time and space, a shared experience for all. We do not have to accomplish or achieve anything specific to live a beautiful and profound life. In finding communion, we connect with each other, all those we love, and all those we will never know.

     In a previous honors class centered on naturalism, we read Therese Raquin by Emile Zola. The story follows Therese and Laurent, two people who become consumed by their passion for each other and the guilt that follows their actions. Naturalism as a concept argues that people are controlled by their instincts, environment, and nature rather than their own free will.      This made me think of the concept of the second self we explored through Gilgamesh and Enkidu, but where Gilgamesh and Enkidu balanced each other and brought out something greater, Therese and Laurent brought out the worst in each other. She was repressed and trapped by her environment, he was impulsive and ruled by desire. Together they didn't complete each other, they destroyed each other. It made me wonder if a second self can work in reverse, where instead of elevating you, they pull you into your darkest nature. Naturalism would say that was never in their control to begin with.

  Dr. Redick mentions throughout class how he had reflected and learned about himself and others the most through the journey of hiking. In class he briefly mentioned his essay Spiritual Rambling , which went over his experiences hiking, and how he embraced it more over his pilgrimage. My family and I often hike trails in the late summer or early fall in the Shenandoah area, ranging from easy walks to challenging climbs. We usually hike with an end goal of a waterfall or a breathtaking mountain view. I never really thought of it as anything more than a family bonding trip, but after reading this specific essay and listening to his lectures, I started to see it differently. One trail that stands out is Humpback Rock. The climb was so steep and rocky that at some point I stopped thinking about anything else. I was completely focused on just making it to the top and “finishing” the hike. Looking back, this is what Dr. Redick describes as “flow,” which is the merging of action and aw...

  In class we had watched Paris, Texas : a story about a man who wanders about the desert and attempts to find his family, as well as reconnect with society. I had missed the class where we initially started watching the movie, but I gathered from the conversation that this was about a man who had deeply messed up his relationship with the woman he loved and had major regrets in his life. Watching the ending we saw the man record his feelings for his son, as well as saw him talk to his wife through the brothel screen. In that moment, there was a sense of clarity between the man and his wife because they knew their true feelings and why they did the things they did. At the end of the movie, we had a class discussion, and one of the main points made was that the journey felt incomplete since nobody ends up together, nothing is truly resolved, and it doesn’t follow Campbell’s traditional hero journey to a T. However, I see it much differently. I see a resolution through feelings lai...

In class we discussed Gilgamesh and Enkidu frequently. Enkidu is considered to be Gilgamesh’s “second self,” his opposite and complement who balances him out and makes him whole. Dr. Redick also shared how he had a best friend who served and his own second self in a similar way.      I found myself thinking about my childhood best friend. Where I was passive and kind, she had an anger that took years to work through. I thrived in the IB program and creative thinking, while she wanted nothing to do with it and always insisted she wasn’t a creative person. I went to college, she went into the Air Force. On paper we couldn’t be more different, yet that difference is exactly what made us work. Just like how Enkidu brought something out of Gilgamesh that he couldn’t find on his own, she brought something out in me too.

  In class we read Rumi’s poem In Baghdad, Dreaming of Cairo; In Cairo, Dreaming of Baghdad. At first the poem was confusing to me, but the core idea stuck with me: that what you are searching for may have been waiting at home all along, and that journeying away was never necessary. However,  I found myself relating to it in reverse. I have lived in the same place my whole life, even CNU is five minutes away from my house. I never had to really “journey” anywhere. While Rumi’s poem warns against leaving home to find something always there, I sometimes wonder what I might have found if I had left, especially looking at other people’s stories. Maybe the poem works both ways. You can lose yourself chasing something far away, but maybe you can also lose something by never chasing anything at all.

  Myths and stories marked the beginning of this class. We asked what they were and how they have persisted throughout history. From my understanding myths and stories come from others’ experiences who came before us, most coming from their primordial perception. When I was younger, I was exposed to so many stories made by Disney, Dr. Seuss, and other children’s books/movies at the time. Most of them had the theme of being kind to others, not judging others, and always choosing peace over conflict. I believe that these stories made the biggest impact on me as a kid, especially since I was an only child in a neighborhood that didn’t really have people my age to hang out with. All I had to build some sort of experience were these myths, stories, and whatever happened at school. It created a very passive and kind kid, but one that was also sheltered from other experiences since I experienced life through others instead of my own. My mom described me as someone who never cried throug...

  Throughout this semester, we have covered the themes of identity and belonging. One of the more impactful conversations that we had in class was about our names being a key aspect of defining ourselves. For me, my family, and my friends, the name Emma has meaning because it encompasses who I am as a person: my personality, strengths, weaknesses, quirks.  In Fr. Daniel-Maria Klimek’s The Love of Mary , his first chapter begins with how we should address the ever Holy Mary. One idea that he brought up is how we do not call our mothers by their first names—so why should we do that to Jesus’s mother? In this way, we can show respect and reverence, exemplifying that we can have other loving and more meaningful names to add to Mary, ones that can further deepen our relationship with her. Names like Mama Mary, Mother, or even Maria can add to our daughter- and son-hood of being children of God and of our Holy Mother. With this, Fr. Klimek decided to add Maria onto his name when be...

  The American Camino cites Henry David Thoreau’s symbolization of a journey— “as a restorative endeavor.”  We go, looking for some sort of salvation or realization to be presented. The passage also explores our specific relationship with the wild. Humans tend to “domesticate” the wild, but are also constantly in search of it, in the hopes it will give us answers or offer enlightenment. How do these two things connect, and how can they both be true. Aren’t we supposed to coexist with it? Can’t we work alongside it? Enjoy it for what it is without altering it? The AT is a path “for those who seek fellowship with wilderness,” implying an inherent connection with it. Dr. Redick points out something rather profound… by trying to define the wilderness, aren’t we inherently failing to grasp the concept of it? Aren’t we minimizing it and attempting to conquer it? Own it, with our definition? Despite that, there are ways to continue the search for understanding or, at least, appreciat...

  One reading from American Camino (that we also discussed in class) stuck with me. The discussion of the grooming cows and the fawn were reminders of the beautiful power of shared presence. The cows and the deer are reminders of the truest forms of love, partnership, and trust. Our relationship with animals is an incredibly interesting one, and I have had similar experiences that have reminded me of our interconnection. When I was solo-traveling in Malta, I walked 3 miles from my hotel along a dirt trail on my last night. I ended up at a cove, where I stopped for a sunset swim. After getting out of the water, I sat on a small bridge near the shore to watch the sunset and reflect on everything I had experienced that day. As I sat, a pelican landed next to me– about a foot away. I assumed he would have thought I had food for him, but he just sat and looked at me. We made eye contact for about 30 seconds before he settled in and looked out at the water. It is easy to attribute human ...

Her Revelations of Divine Love show a graceful and forgiving god that is driven not by rage or anger, but by compassion and love.  Despite the horrors that persist throughout the world, there is still love. Reading this also reminded me about my personal experiences with religion and god. I was raised Christian, but have fallen out of faith. Moments and experiences have struck me, and I have tried to devote myself to more religious exploration, for the sake of myself and, more importantly, my family. But I think my spiritual journey is something that will continue to evolve as I understand myself and my place in the world more fully. Despite my own struggles, I greatly appreciate the lessons religion can offer, and the written meaning-making from religious thinkers. Religious principles and teachings offer important insights into humanity’s understanding and vision of the divine— we make meaning out of these experiences and seek to understand them. Sometimes, we just have to accep...

  Staying “bewildered” is discussed, referencing the idea that constant growth and discovery is natural and beneficial. I loved this reading, and thought that the conclusion was a beautiful expression of the power of exploration. Sometimes we learn more about ourselves from the journey than we ever could have otherwise— and sometimes the thing we are looking for was in the first place all along. However, we never could have known that if not for the lessons learned on the journey. This passage reminded me of the alchemist— but I think the alchemist was reminded of Rumi. Most stories follow similar patterns, and express similar sentiments. The human experience is universal, and many forms of expression share similar conclusions and feelings, a beautiful byproduct of the shared human experience. 

 Dr. Redick described how his friend and soul-brother, John, was able to alter the path of their lives by reminding him that they could be doing more. That up to that point, they were “blowing it.” Life is short and unpredictable. Every moment is valuable, and you should be spending them doing the things you want to do. Losing sight of the goal is easy, and complacency is comfortable. Unfortunately, I take much of my life for granted. In a rather contradictory way, I am incredibly appreciative and aware of the things that I have been able to do. But at the same time, I spend a lot of my life doing things that are comfortable and easy rather than doing things that I want to do or should do. Reminders that life cannot be taken for granted have come, but it is hard to break out of that cycle. I think this is something that is a constant struggle, and a perception that will continue to evolve as I age and become more aware of my own life. The search for meaning is seemingly endless,...

  Liminality refers to a transition phase. The discussion of the in-between was interesting to me, and inspired some thought. Liminality can be applied  seems to be in a tto the changing of the seasons, or moments of uncertainty/change in personal life. Often times, I feel like you can’t even understand what was a place of Liminality until you are past it. Liminality is visible often only upon reflection. Liminality can be beautiful, as Dr. Redick’s slideshow proved. But it can also be incredibly uncomfortable and unpredictable. Liminality can also apply to the development of personal identity and understanding. Without fixed structures, paths or boundaries, we are forced to face uncertainty, but also presented an opportunity for growth.

I enjoyed our discussion of artifacts and the opportunity to reflect on them in our papers. Artifacts, as we talked about, are things that take you on a journey, guide exploration, or open you up to spiritual discovery.  I would relate artifacts to remnants or remains, the things left over. The story of humanity exists in the stories, written words, and artifacts that we still hold. In 2019, I was a part of an archaeological excavation in Crow Canyon, Colorado. We were working at a site with artifacts of the Pueblo civilization, unearthing pieces of their life. One of the most transforming/eye-opening/spiritual experiences I have ever had came on day 3 of the dig. I found a shard of pottery. It was a piece of a much larger artifact, similar rounded shape of water jug shards we had found previously. But this one was special— it’s design was a sort of ribbing pattern. But the pattern was made by fingerprints. Each fingerprint was visible, and I got goosebumps when I lifted it up. I h...

  Without a destination, there is no journey. That is a notion we explored in class, and I found it to be a very good reminder. We must always appreciate and respect the journey, remaining open to new opportunities and paths, while also keeping sight of goals and dreams.  The story about the waterfall has stuck with me. I have had similar experiences (while maybe not as potent), where I felt a deep connection to the earth. Sometimes, adventures and moments of connection are the byproduct of a journey without being a part of “the plan.” Plans are overrated anyway. 

  Our journey to the Lion’s Bridge stimulated some great discussion. The notion of “Conquering the Wild” was particularly interesting. The statue celebrated humanity’s unique power and influence, while also acknowledging the preservation and conservation of the park and its natural features. The term “conquering” typically carries a negative connotation. Conquering is to own something or to overpower it. Our ability to create, build, and craft allows us to build civilizations. The wild can be seen as a partner (providing resources, etc.) or as an impediment (storms, weather, poor conditions for growth and building, other challenges to overcome). I suppose that, in this case, conquering is harnessing the power of nature to invigorate and empower the growth and expansion of civilization.

  The recent return of NASA’s Artemis mission to the moon has inspired some reflection. In the pictures of Earth taken by the astronauts, every person who has ever lived (sans four) is on that blue marble floating through the abyss– everyone we have ever known or heard of, every event we’ve experienced or learned about. One of the astronauts, looking back at us, referred to Earth as a lifeboat, carrying us through the expanse. It is almost as if you can feel the extent to which your brain can comprehend– or maybe that might just be me… But it is also incredible to consider that four of us , were out there, laying the foundation for continued exploration. The ability to see the stars seems like a call to adventure in and of itself.  There’s also something beautifully poetic about a trip to visit our moon. This is not something that is needed to make our society function; it is something that is needed to fulfill the inherent curiosity of humanity. A visit to our companion in sp...

  I believe that a person is shaped and created by the experiences they have throughout their life. The amalgamation of those experiences makes us who we are. To others, we exist as an image within their minds. That image is created over time, a summation of all the things they have seen, heard, or pictured us doing. However, only I know my true self. My perspective belongs only to me. No one else has experienced the same sets of events and circumstances that I have, and that truth has created my identity and my unique perspective. My mosaic of perspective and identity belongs to me, and only me. No matter how long I spend trying to explain or share it, no one else could truly understand it, much less have it belong to them. This is something that belongs to me, and no matter how hard I might try to share it, no one else could ever truly possess it.

  I recently read “The Life of Chuck” by Stephen King. I interpreted it as a celebration of life’s beautifully mundane moments. A celebration of an extraordinarily ordinary life. The things that make us human and special are not accomplishments or the accumulation of money; they are the moments with people we love, the cherished memories we hold, and our specific experiences that only we can truly appreciate and understand. Every life has meaning and consequence.  I have had the great fortune of traveling quite a bit over the last few years. I have been able to explore new places and see beautiful things. But by far, the best moments have come in the conversations with strangers. Connecting across cultures, across oceans and continents, all united by our shared humanity. These conversations can be about anything, some educational or enlightening, some amusing, some just about the weather or sports. But no matter what it’s specifically about, it marks a connection between two s...

Stories are how we make meaning of life and share our experiences. Stories take many forms and can be expressed in a number of different ways. Our conversation about “making meaning” put life in a new light that I hadn’t previously considered. Movies, books, poems, and portraits are all expressions that tell a story and are guided by experience and a unique perspective. I have been reflecting on the cave paintings we looked at in class and on their power. The paintings were perhaps the most beautiful things I had ever seen, an early expression that told a distinct story. I also went on to watch the documentary, which was absolutely wonderful.  Humans want to be known, and want to know. Stories show what mattered to people, what they saw, a strong declaration of existence that echoes across time.

 Something that stuck out to me in one of our classes was when Dr. Redick was talking about how his soul brother John called him out when he was stuck in a stagnant place. Dr. Redick told all of us to do the same thing if our brother or sister is stuck in a stagnant place. I really appreciated Dr. Redick telling us to do that because sometimes you have to be blunt when it comes to your loved ones. You need to tell them when they need to improve themselves for their own benefit. I would do this for my sisters and my loved ones.

  The expectations that are held of us by our peers, our mentors, our parents and loved ones can feel inhibiting. Often, this is not the intent. They are meant to inspire growth and development, not hinder it. This time of life is supposed to be about self-discovery and exploration. Instead, I have found it difficult to ever truly know myself. Life often feels like it has been reduced to an endless list of tasks. Society has placed the emphasis on the wrong things, forgetting about the truly important elements of the human experience. An exploration of the hero’s journey might also include the hero unable to heed the call due to an upcoming deadline, etc. Personal aspirations and dates with destiny often come second to the pursuit of a more padded CV, a boosted GPA, and, most importantly, more money. I haven’t quite figured out how to find this balance.

As a fellow Catholic, I love looking at Saints and religious figures through the lens of the themes present in our class. With St. Thérèse, I had never thought about her mission to join the convent as an extensive journey, but as a path set upon her from God, it truly encompasses Campbell’s teachings. St. Thérèse’s call toward her journey of following Christ started at a young age with her desire to be a “soldier” of the Lord. Like Isaiah mentioned, her dedication to starting an extraordinary journey was especially highlighted in her asking the pope to join the Carmelites at the age of fifteen. Her call to the mission was like no other—truly a call of a hero. Isaiah’s notion of the end of St. Thérèse’s physical journey in conjunction with her new spiritual journey piqued my interest. As she had passed away, her physical journey on earth had ended, but life in Heaven was a new start for her. All of her fervent work for the Lord had finally been rewarded, and her dedication has set an ex...

 The class where we had a guest come in and speak, play the drums, and recite his poem for us was a very interesting and thought-provoking class. A couple of quotes that he introduced us to that stuck out to me were these: "Stop acting so small, you are the universe in ecstatic motion." "I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in darkness the astonishing light of your own being." - Hafiz 14th Before we had that class I wasn't having the best day, but during the class and hearing what our guest had to say, listening to his song, and hearing those quotes uplifted me. It was what I needed to hear that day, so I'm very appreciative of that. I also really liked the activity where we wrote down attributes we would want our future child to have. It made me reflect a lot and it made me think about the person I want to become and how I should better myself.

 Emerson Worst - Learning to Love The Thunderhead     April 27th 2026     If you've ever heard of the Scythe  franchise by Neal Shusterman, you've probably heard about the Thunderhead. It is the sentient, all powerful AI that governs the world and watches over each and every human that resides in it. It is a thought that many find to be scary, about humanity not making our own choices anymore, at the mercy of an AI who doesn't understand humanity, but Scythe  presents a different perspective. The Thunderhead is very human, and does it's best to rule Earth, while ensuring humans have as many choices as possible.     This is made very evident in the moment that essentially forms what Scythe  is known for. When humanity conquers death and becomes immortal, everyone looks to the Thunderhead for a solution. However, the AI decides that it will harm its creators. This is then built upon in the sequel to Scythe , aptly named Thunderhead.  ...

 Emerson Worst - Re-enacting Anger April 27th 2026     Sometimes, I find myself delving into the recesses of my mind to access some of my deepest memories. Sometimes I can recall the event very specifically, and even act like I'm living in it again. However, this has only happened to me with BAD memories. To be specific, memories that I did not like forming. To be even MORE specific, memories from when I was in Cross Country.     It's been interesting to think about, why I keep going back to these memories, but what's even more interesting is that I fin myself getting artificially angry in them. I can imagine myself yelling, screaming, pouring my entire mind out through the fire and steam in my mouth. It's very interesting, and I think I understand why that is.     It's because in those memories, I have something I regret doing. That, or something I wish I did different. Because most of the time, I kind of just silently muscled it all up, wishing, want...

 In the film Cold Fever, something that I thought was interesting were the fairies that are in Icelandic folklore. The representation of these fairies first stood out to me when Atsushi saw a child not far off into the distance, and the child screamed. It was a very unnerving scream, and when we watched it in class I was very confused by the whole scene. I didn't realize what the child was or why the fairy screamed the way it did. Another fairy scene that stood out to me was the scene where Atsushi and the fairies were walking in opposite directions towards each other at the end of the movie. It reminded me of the afterlife or of another realm, and I felt like it was showing Atsushi's connection to his parents and the ritual he has to perform for them. Overall, this movie was pretty confusing for me but I still thought it was very interesting.

Paris, Texas was a very interesting film to watch. It was aesthetically beautiful and it was interesting to point out how the background symbolizes the internal and external journeys of the characters. One of my favorite parts of the movie was when Jane was reunited with Hunter. Jane was unsure, probably felt guilty, and was still processing the whole situation. Hunter, on the other hand, had just gone on an adventure and was excited to see his mom. After Hunter hugged Jane, it seemed like she felt like he had accepted her. That whole scene was very special because of that acceptance and their reunion. As for Travis, I'm curious to know why exactly he left. I understand why he wouldn't feel like he belongs with them anymore, but I don't understand why he completely left them behind. It seemed like he was happy to be back with his son, so why wouldn't he want to keep that connection?

 The Boy and the Heron was my favorite movie out of the three we watched in class. I have always enjoyed watching Studio Ghibli movies; they all hold so much meaning and it's clear that a lot of thought and effort are put into them. The Boy and the Heron was unpredictable, but that's a part of grief and what Mahito was experiencing. That aspect was the most moving for me while we were watching the movie; the representation of Mahito's grief. In the beginning of Mahito's journey, he was angry, sad, and confused, wanting nothing but closure. His memories were full of fire and showed his trauma. As the story progressed, there was more and more water, a healing and calming element. Also, in the beginning, the heron was a weird-looking creature that Mahito didn't particularly like, but the heron later became someone who stuck with Mahito. He stuck around as a friend, not as a creature that is trying to throw him off. The heron represents Mahito's grief in a way, show...

The first time I flew on a plane was when my family and I flew to Las Vegas and visited the Grand Canyon. My favorite part about this trip was visiting this one river that was down a long off-road trail we drove down. I don't remember the name of the place or the river, but it was very fun to visit. There was no one else around us, the only things there being hills (some green and some just made up of dirt) and the very blue water. It was a beautiful spot we had found, and I remember feeling like we found something very special.

 I visited San Francisco in middle school with my family, and one of my favorite memories was when we visits Mt. Tamalpais. I remember being so excited to visit it because it was mentioned in the Percy Jackson book series, which I had been obsessed with. In the book, the main character Percy had to hold up the sky on his back and it was on this mountain peak. When I visited the peak, I imagined Percy having a battle there and holding the sky on his back, and it was just really exciting to visit that place and picturing the events in the book happening there.

 I was born and raised in Kentucky, and I moved to Virginia when I was 14. All four of my older sisters live in Kentucky and my extended family is split between Ohio and Indiana. Going back to Kentucky to visit my sisters, nieces and nephew is always fun, but it's also a weird experience in a way. It feels odd to go back to the place where I grew up and called home, knowing that I don't quite belong there anymore. I have my own life and opportunities in Virginia that are separate from Kentucky and my family there. It's hard to put into words how it feels to go back, but it's just different, and it'll never feel like how it did when I lived there. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, it's just something that's in the past.

 When I was 14 I flew to Texas to visit a childhood friend who moved away. It was my first time flying alone, and also my first time visiting the state. One of the coolest memories I have from this trip was when we were at her house and there was a lightning storm in the distance. Her house was on the top of a big hill and there was a clear view miles around us. When we looked off into the distance at the lightning storm, it looked like it was at the same altitude as us, I didn't have to crane my neck or anything. I had never seen a storm like that before and it was very cool to witness. The whole situation was really neat for me; I was over a thousand miles away from my family, visiting a friend I hadn't seen in five years, and seeing a nonstop lightning storm at eye level. I'd love to revisit Texas and enjoy the landscape more out there.

 My favorite trip that I've been on was my vacation to Utah with my dad, when we went the summer before my junior year of high school. We flew into Salt Lake City and then drove down to Moab on the first day. I had a lot of great experiences on this trip and garnered a deeper appreciation of the west. One of my favorite memories from this trip was when we went to Arches National Park at night to see the clear night sky. We found an empty parking lot and got out to enjoy the view. The weather was perfect; a warm summer night, slight breeze and dry air (growing up in the east, I appreciate not being in humid weather). There was a bright moon in the sky that was illuminating everything around us, and we could see everything in the distance. We could hear the crickets and insects around us and the breeze. We ended up laying down on the parking lot because our necks started hurting from looking up at the stars, and we just stared at the sky. You could see the Milky Way if you looked clo...

  I just went to Birmingham Alabama for nationals in gymnastics. This consisted of quite the journey. A packed up car at 6am, me and three others in one car, another car with three more and we set out to drive there in one day. I split my driving time with one other person switching off roughly every 2 ½ hours. It was a long day that ended with our AirBNB being in one of the sketchiest neighborhoods I have ever seen, and an open gym with hundreds of people. Over the course of the next two days I competed in 14 events, pushing my body to the limit. The first day I competed what I was used to and it was the four WAG events: floor, beam, vault, and bars. The second day was much harder; I was filled with ten events that I had never competed in before. The first was MAG, in which I competed vault, p-bars, high bar, floor, pommel horse, and finally rings. After all that I was then faced with T&T. Where I competed trampoline, syncro, double mini, and finally rod floor. Then I was done...

  Last summer I applied to a camp in the middle of Maine. Full of people I have never met, living in a bunk with 25 other people, sharing 2 shows and 3 toilets. For those who have never done this before it comes with its challenges. As counselors when you get to the camp you spend two weeks getting to know the other counselors, and completing training so that you are prepared for anything and everything when the kids come. A couple days before the kids come to camp you receive your bunk placement and find out what age group you will be working with. I was hoping for a group of 12s. I got 11s. I was very excited at first, until I found out that in the past summer they had been called the terrible 10s. Each age group has 3 bunks and this group was the worst of the worst apparently. Infamously known for making their counselors hate their life and job and often end up leaving. Flushing airpods down toilets, killing baby ducks, locking you out of the bunk, and so much more. I had one of...

  When people figure out where I am from they often ask me how I ended up here. A girl who lives in Las Vegas, who grew up in boarding school in New England, and who spends her summers in Maine. Quite often I don't know how to answer that question and I just respond by saying my college counselor put it on my list and I thought that the school looked right for me. There are many different parts to my hero’s journey that got me here. In 2020 while at my first boarding school I sat down for the first time with my secondary school placement counselor. We spoke just like you would with a college counselor, what I was looking for, what I liked, what I wanted to focus on studying in my future, where in the world I wanted to be. Months later after my applications and acceptances I was deciding between two very different schools both in New York. One was an all girls high school that was very old school and focused on raising strong independent women. The other was a co-ed school that was ...

  I recently watched the show The Haunting of Hill House. In it a family grapples with their experiences and loss that they faced while living in Hill House. Many of them had supernatural experiences and faced personality changes through the experiences that they had and the effect that the house had on them. Over the summer that the family  spent there their mother began having these terrible headaches and eventually ended up snapping, killing a local child and trying to kill her twins in the process. The father is able to get his five children out of the house unharmed. However, when he goes back for his wife he discovers that she killed herself thinking that she was dreaming after realizing that she killed a child. Years later one of the children goes back to that house now abandoned and is also killed by the house but it once again looks like a suicide. In the finale of the show when the rest of the kids return to the house their dead sibling helps guide them making sure t...

  The Noah Kahan documentary just recently came out and there is a very important moment in it in which he is someone else's hero. In 2024 Noah Kahan had one of the biggest moments of his life when he played at Fenway Park. As he was backstage getting ready to go on stage he met a young girl named Zuza who was battling cancer. She said that Noah’s music had gotten her through a lot of her treatment when she wasn't feeling the best and that she was very thankful for him. Noah went on to ask her what her favorite song was to which she responded “forever”.  Heartbreaking in the first place because it talks about being stuck somewhere forever. Something that was uncertain for Zuza. Noah asked her if she would like to hear it, she said yes. So there in the backstage of Fenway Park before playing the most important night of his life in front of thousands of people he sat down and played forever for her. The two sang together and just enjoyed the moment. Unfortunately a little over a...

  In the book The Shadows Between Us a young girl comes up with a plan. It is to one, woo the shadow King, two, marry him, and finally three, kill him and take his kingdom for herself. Three steps, she makes them seem so easy but there is more to this than what meets the eye. For the King has never been interested in marriage. He has beautiful ladies paraded in front of him every day and he has never even considered taking one of them to court. Once Alesandra is able to catch the eye of the king she quickly discovers that there is a plot to kill him. Throughout their courtship there are many attempts on his life. However, Alesandra can not let the King die before she marries him otherwise her plan will mean nothing. So she works to uncover who is trying to kill the King. Over the course of their time together Alesandra begins to realize that she does actually care about what happens to the King and instead of working for herself she begins working for him. She allows herself to fee...

  In the book series The Folk of The Air a young girl is faced with the challenges of finding herself in a strange land, with her parents' murderer, needing to find her place in the world. Jude and her sisters were taken by her half sister father to a land of magic where the people are immortal and bend humans to their will. They use their magic to trap them and force them to be their slaves. They have just one weakness, and that is the fact that they cannot lie, whereas humans can. Jude must learn to use that ability to her utmost advantage. Because of her “fathers” standings she attends school with the royals and those of the highest standing in this land, including the king's youngest son, Carden. Carden and his friends hate jude, hate the fact that she is allowed to be in school with them, and are a part of the nobility. As Jude gets closer to finishing school she must learn how to make a life for herself a part of the royal court. She plans to become a knight and work for ...

  I have been rereading one of my favorite book series of all time. It is Throne of Glass by Sara J. Maas. Instead of dissecting the whole series in the eye of the hero's journey I have just been thinking about the first book. By the time that you are onto the third book in this series the journey in that first book seems trivial, unimportant, and almost easy. However, it is not an easy journey, it is a matter of life or death, freedom or enslavement. It makes me question whether or not certain journeys matter if there are harder ones ahead that we have not yet faced, and once we face them do those past ones matter or are they inconsequential once we have faced a harder journey. In this book a young assassin who is well known and well renowned had been captured. The story starts with her in a slave camp when the prince of the kingdom comes to her and requests that she be in his fathers tournament for a champion who can complete his dirty work. If she wins and does in fact become th...

  One of my favorite books that I have read is a novel called Uprising. It follows the lives of three women as they navigate New York City in the early 1900s. They were all connected to a shirtwaist factory in downtown Manhattan. Now for those who don't know there was a terrible fire there in 1911 that killed hundreds of people and caused many different fire safety updates across the United States. The book follows these three women who are all living completely different lives but are connected by this factory. One is an immigrant finding her way for her and her sister in a new place. Another is and American working there who is a big part of the protest for better job conditions and pay. The last girl comes from a rich family who is connected to the owners of the factory. This book does such a good job of breaking down the barriers of society and what everyone knows. It shows how a common thread between strangers can bring people together. It also shows how a tragedy can change e...

  I recently read a book called Our Iceberg Is Melting. It brought up so many interesting points for me. It is a book that is meant to break down Kotter’s 8-step model. This model is a way to change and adapt to different situations. It is a very important model that I think people in leadership should know about and implement in their communities. The most interesting thing about this book is how that information was presented. The book follows a group of penguins who learn that the iceberg that they are living on is indeed melting. Once they are able to discover this and spread the word they then need to figure out how they are going to approach this problem. What makes this book so interesting to me is the simplicity in which this complex model is able to be explained. The book is laid out like a children's model, however it goes through the steps that a CEO of a big name company could be using. There are images showing cartoon penguins and the story itself is very lighthearted...