Fuller Job

    As a Fuller, your job was to collect urine, pour it into a bucket, and put a wool cloth into the urine and step around on it. This made the wool "softer" and "brought the wool tightly together." I could never do this job for many reasons. The smell of urine would make me absolutely sick. To have enough urine to do an entire wool sheet, it would have to come from a bunch of different people. Knowing that I was stepping in urine, that wasn't even mine would completely disgust me and I couldn't do it. Also, it seems like such a tiring and boring job. You have to stand in a bucket all day stomping on a wool sheet in urine. That's not fun or exciting. I find it extremely disgusting and unhealthy. I couldn't wake up everyday knowing that I had to go to work by stepping on a wool cloth in urine. That is why I'd never want to be a Fuller.

Freshman Year

     For Kelly McCloskey, freshman year was a life changing experience. She came into this school knowing only 3 people, and 2 of them she wasn't very close with. She would have never imagined meeting so many people and becoming friends with practically the entire freshman class. Sure, she made some mistakes through out the year and regrets some of the decisions she made. But, John Carroll was like a whole new world for Kelly. She joined the riding team and became so close with the girls that they're practically a family. She made new best friends that she spends her weekends with. She dated some dumb boys too, but freshman year is when you're trying to figure everything out, right? Freshman year was the beginning of something totally new for Kelly.
      Kelly worked hard to get good grades, and she succeeded by making honor roll every quarter. School always came before everything in Kelly's life, but now she found a new way to enjoy her work. She could work together with her classmates during her off mods, she actually was allowed to use a laptop in school, and it felt great to be able to do her school work with her own sense of style. Middle school was so cut out and boring for Kelly that she never had a chance to express herself in her work. John Carroll classes were the best thing that had ever happened to Kelly in her school-career.
      Besides school, Kelly made a whole new group of friends that helped her in numerous ways throughout the year. She made friends on the bus, in classes, during off mods, at parties, the riding team, and just staying for after school sport games. Since Kelly is from Baltimore, adjusting to Bel Air was a little hard, but it was exciting and fun for her. She met so many different people that shared the same interests as her, and she found it easy to fit in with the people around her. Of course the girls have their drama, all the time, but Kelly did her best to stay away from it and enjoy her time as a freshman.
     The horse back riding team was like Kelly's new family. She became close with so many different girls on the team, and found millions of opportunities opening up to her one by one. She spent her weekends away at horse shows with the girls winning ribbons, taking pictures, running around the hotels, taking care of the horses, and just bonding with the girls. Even when they weren't riding, the girls hung out and talked like they've known each other for years. Not only did Kelly find a single person who shared her love and compassion for horses, but an entire team.
      Freshman year was full of ups and downs, but nothing that could stop Kelly from putting a smile on her face. She appreciated this whole new world of people and couldn't have asked for anything more. The John Carroll school had changed Kelly's life forever, in the best way possible.

Aliens- Should we make contact or not?

I believe that we shouldn't make contact with aliens. It seems that we could cause more damage then good if we go out of our way to meet these non-earth creatures. Sure, it would be amazing if we could find that there truly is life on other planets. But, is it really worth the risk? Hawkings could be right; they might want to come in and just use all of our resources and leave us for dead. We don't NEED anything from these aliens, so why try to hard to meet/find them? It could only cause unnecessary trouble. There's always the flip side; the aliens could be extremely nice and fun creatures. They could actually help us in many ways. But, we don't NEED their help; we simply want it. Quite frankly, we don't even want their "help." We just want to find out who they are.

Weekly 8: How do Romanesque and Gothic Cathedrals express different understandings about religious theology?

How do Romanesque and Gothic Cathedrals express different understandings about religious theology? (Rough Draft due Thursday for peer review -- BTW, a hint: the "opposite" argument would be that the architecture of churches does NOT mean anything about theology).

            Romanesque and Gothic Cathedrals were built in thousands of different countries and cities throughout Europe. They started in about the 6^th century and lasted until about the 16^th century. Romanesque Cathedrals and Gothic Cathedrals are extremely different in the way they are built and the designs that they have. Romanesque and Gothic Cathedrals both define major differences and beliefs about religious theology in their different ways of architecture. Romanesque and Gothic don’t define any differences and beliefs about religious theology in the different ways that they were built.

            Romanesque Cathedrals roughly began in about the 6^th century and ended in the 10^th century; when Gothic Cathedrals began. Romanesque Cathedrals were built more like a bomb shelter than a church. They didn’t have many windows, and they were made out of brick or stone to assure protection against enemies (see figure 1). In case a war would ever break out or an invasion would occur, the cathedrals were the buildings that the people of the town would go to for shelter. Also, many Romanesque Cathedrals were circular or semi-circles (see figure 2). Romanesque Cathedrals were built this way because it allowed more support for the cathedrals, and it also allowed to wall to be thicker and more protective. Romanesque Cathedrals seemed as if they were more for the protection of the people, then the worship of God.

            Gothic Cathedrals formed from Romanesque Cathedrals, and lasted from about the 10^th century to the 16^th century. They were more elaborate and decorative than Romanesque Cathedrals, and they consisted of many windows and beautiful designs (see figure 3). When the Gothic Cathedrals began, the reason for many windows was to allow the light of God in; to be able to let God shine into the Cathedrals and fill the Cathedrals with his presence through the sunlight. Also, these Cathedrals were meant to be noticed and they were meant for the purposes of worship. Gothic Cathedrals couldn’t be missed by anyone, and they had a massive amount of detail and artwork built into them (see figure 4). When Gothic Cathedrals were built, it was obvious that these Cathedrals were meant to show God worship, and not serve the community with protection.

            Between Romanesque and Gothic Cathedrals, there are extreme differences between the designs and the thought/planning put behind these two types of structures. The architects behind the Romanesque Cathedrals were more focused on safety then they were on appearance. Romanesque Cathedrals were practically plain and simple, and were used strict purposes only (see figure 5). On the other hand, Gothic Cathedrals are the complete opposite. The architects behind the Gothic Cathedrals wanted their Cathedrals to be noticed and they wanted them to be gorgeous. They consisted of high peaks, beautiful sculptures, and colossal stain glass windows (see figure 6).

Both Romanesque and Gothic Cathedrals had a huge impact on the medieval time period, but they impacted in different ways. Romanesque Cathedrals showed a darker, more war-like side in history. Gothic Cathedrals showed a more elegant, loving, brighter side in history. Even though both types of Cathedrals are extremely different, they showed the world today how quickly beliefs and virtues can change.

Figure 1 -  Xhignesse

Figure 2- The rotunde of Saint George

Figure 3- Cathedral of Amiens

Figure 4- Milan cathedral

Figure 5- Castañeda

 

Figure 6- Cathedral of St Etienne of Bourges

GRANDMONT, Jean-Pol (Producer). (2005). Xhignesse JPG02.jpg [Web]. Available from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Xhignesse_JPG02.jpg

Borak, Matt (Producer). (2005). Rotunde-of-St.-George-at-Rip.jpeg [Web]. Available from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rotunde-of-St.-George-at-Rip.jpeg

(2006). Cathedral of Amiens front.jpg [Web]. Available from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cathedral_of_Amiens_front.jpg

(2002). MailaenderDom.jpg [Web]. Available from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MailaenderDom.jpg

(2005). Castañeda2.jpg [Web]. Available from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Casta%C3%B1eda2.jpg

(2005). Bourges - 002 - Low Res.jpg [Web]. Available from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bourges_-_002_-_Low_Res.jpg