THE SCHOLAR’S JOURNAL

2018 September Edition The Aquinas Scholars Honors Program

Editor: Althea Larson A Note from Our Director

Dr. Eric Fort

expand the model to a campus-wide orga- Greetings, and welcome to the nization. Though broader in reach, the pro- Aquinas Scholars Honors Program. As gram continued its goal of fostering deep I begin my role as the Aquinas Scholars interdisciplinary learning to augment the Honors Program (ASHP) Director, I want- education of St. Thomas students. That ed to take some time each month this year work continues today. to talk to you all about the program, its his- The program continues to build its tory, its future, and its role at St. Thomas. community of dedicated scholars to join the The program has its origins in the College 1,900 living alumni of the Aquinas Scholars of Arts and Sciences. In 1980, the program Honors Program. I am one of those alum- was founded as a way to foster community ni, class of 2005, and I took this role so that and interaction between the wide variety I can continue the good work of the pro- of disciplines under the College’s roof. gram and ensure it has a strong foundation Embracing the spirit of a liberal arts for years to come. education, the ASHP aimed to attract the most academically talented students to Eric H. Fort, Ph.D. Program Director engage deeply in interdisciplinary learn- ing and thought. The honors sections and seminars were borne of this spirit. The seminars mandated the input of different (often-disparate) points of view to foster broad learning and conversation. The hon- ors sections were built to allow depth of knowledge, deep conversation about top- ics, learning about the details and nuance, not just the essentials. The program grew from its inception, and in 2007, then President Dease chose to 2018 New Scholars Retreat Pleasantville Analysis By Izzy Iliff

one who shot baskets would al- norms change over time. I also The 1998 movie, Pleas- ways get the ball in). This starts thought that the use of color and antville, is about a pair of teen- a cascade of changes for all of having certain people in Pleas- agers from the 1990s who get Pleasantville that continues antville transition from black and transported into the world of throughout the movie. white to color was ingenious, the picture-perfect 1950s town of After a while, Jen and Da- not only for its symbolism but Pleasantville. The movie displays vid grow tired of following Pleas- also for the cinematic effect. The a variety of sociological themes antville’s uptight rules and begin movie likened the town’s di- and can be analyzed according to to show the other teenagers (and vide between those in black and the three main sociological the- eventually adults) in the town white and the “coloreds” to the ories: structural functionalism, about new aspects of life, such Civil Rights movement, which conflict theory and symbolic in- as books, sex, art, different music was quite an interesting compar- teraction. In addition, the socio- and other ways of acting outside ison. One thing that frustrated logical concepts of culture and of the town’s norms. As more and me was how much David ide- norms can be applied to the mov- more people from Pleasantville alized Pleasantville. As a wom- ie. begin to learn and change, the an, I saw so many examples of The main characters of town slowly changes from black sexism in Pleasantville before Pleasantville are teenage sib- and white into color. This change things began to change such as lings, David and Jen, who live in of color represents how the peo- the wives always remaining at a divorced household with their ple’s lives went from being drab home, just to make meals and ap- mother. David is fascinated with and ordinary to being full of joy pear when their husbands called watching reruns of a 1950s TV and experiences that made life them. However, I did appreciate show called Pleasantville, depict- worth living. David’s character arc and the fact ing an idyllic town of the same Pleasantville experiences he eventually realized things in name. In Pleasantville, every- its first conflict as the town- di Pleasantville needed to change. one acts according to established vides between the people who’ve The three main sociolog- norms, no one fights or acts out, stayed in black and white and ical theories can be applied to and there is no conflict whatso- want the town to remain the same Pleasantville. The first theory is ever. As David and Jen fight over and those who are in color and structural functionalism, a mac- the TV remote one night, they want to share their experience ro-level theory that focuses on are both transported into the TV with the rest of the town. This order, stability, social structures show. David is happy to be in conflict turns to violence (the first and roles. In the beginning of the Pleasantville, while Jen is afraid in the town) as mobs form to de- movie, Pleasantville represents of being stuck within the show stroy colored art and burn books. structural functionalism in that and upset when David tells her Eventually, all of the town be- the town is stable and full of or- that she needs to act the part of comes colored and Pleasantville der because everyone is acting ac- Mary Sue, the character that she is forever changed. David decides cording to their roles. A structur- has inhabited. to return home with a new appre- al functionalist would view the When Skip, a character in ciation of his old life, while Jen, beginning incarnation of Pleas- the show, asks David (who is pre- who has learned to appreciate ed- antville as positive because by tending to be a character named ucation, decides to remain in the following their prescribed roles, Bud) if he can ask Jen (as Mary world of Pleasantville and go to each person in the town is main- Sue) out, David says that it’s not college there. taining the function and order of a good idea. When this happens, I thought that the movie the society. Skip gets jolted out of the “script” was very well done and humor- Next is conflict theory, a of his life (since according to the ous. The juxtaposition of real macro-level theory which focuses on show, Skip and Mary Sue were teenagers from the 1990s against large-scale social conflict and has a supposed to date). Skip attempts idealized teenagers from the critical view of the status quo to shoot a basket and misses for 1950s made for a very interesting the first time (previously, every- way to demonstrate how societal (recognizing social and economic in- tures are cultures with their own dis- res causes serious moral offense). equality). Conflict theory is represented tinctive values and norms that exist In our society, a more would be in Pleasantville as soon as changes are peacefully within the larger culture, something like murder or incest. In made in the town, because as people act while countercultures are groups Pleasantville, a more is being col- out and begin to transform into color, whose norms and values put them ored. Later in the film, certain norms the town experiences its first conflicts in opposition with the main culture. become formally codified as laws and acts of violence. A conflict theorist The society of Pleasantville when the non-colored adults meet would look at all of the social inequali- has its own unique culture, espe- to make rules to preserve Pleasant- ty (mostly between men and women) in cially since the town, as part of a TV ville’s “pleasantness” – no books, no Pleasantville at the beginning and would show, is completely distinct from all certain types of music, closing the li- see that inequality as the catalyst for other cultures and ways of life. In brary and Lover’s Lane, and no col- change on the part of the town members the beginning of the movie, the teen- oreds. and for the ensuing conflict. A conflict agers of the town represented a sub- At the surface, the movie theorist would also say that before David culture. They had their own norms Pleasantville is very well done, fun- and Jen came to the town, the people and lifestyle, but they were similar ny, and interesting. At a deeper lev- of Pleasantville had false conscious- enough to the main culture of the el, Pleasantville displays a stagnant ness about the inequalities and op- town that they co-existed peaceful- society that changes dramatically pression in their society. Once David ly. However, once David and Jen due to David and Jen’s intervention. and Jen came and started changing came to Pleasantville and started The movie can be analyzed with a things, there was a shift from false changing things, the teenagers (and sociological intent, especially with a consciousness to class conscious- some adults who became colored) focus on the three sociological theo- ness, which is when the oppressed represented a counterculture. This ries and the concepts of culture and recognize social inequality and re- was because their new norms and norms. volt against it. values (being colored and experi- Lastly, there is symbolic in- menting with art, music, sex, etc.) Izzy Iliff teractionism, a micro-level theo- were directly opposed to the main ry that focuses on interaction and culture of the town (represented by meaning as being central to society. the non-colored adults). One aspect of symbolic interaction- The concept of norms is very ism is impression management – at- important in the movie because the tempting to control the impressions conflict that arises when David and you make and therefore how others Jen come to the town stems from view you. At the beginning of the the deviation from Pleasantville’s movie, everyone in Pleasantville norms. Norms are a subset of cul- has managed their impressions on ture and consist of rules and guide- others by following the script that lines on acceptable behaviors. There dictates their lives. Even when Betty are three types of norms: folkways, Parker changes into color, represent- mores and laws, all of which have ing her mental shift toward a new varying ramifications for deviation. way of life, she desperately tries to The changes that David and Jen en- hide her color with makeup. Betty act are viewed as deviant in Pleas- Parker was managing her impres- antville since they go against the sion because she thought that the town’s norms. At first, the changes adults of the town would be preju- represented deviance from folkways diced toward her because of her col- (norms that, if broken, don’t carry or. much significance). For example, The sociological concepts of when Skip tried to shoot a basket culture and norms can also be ap- and missed it, he was embarrassed, plied to Pleasantville. Culture is a and everyone looked at him strange- learned phenomenon that is passed ly, but he wasn’t seriously repri- from generation to generation, and manded. Later on, however, David is made up of shared beliefs, values, and Jen make more changes, causing language and norms. Within culture the color shift. These later changes there are also the concepts of subcul- are viewed as deviance from Pleas- tures and countercultures. Subcul- antville’s mores (deviance from mo- Scholars Abroad Victoria Morrison

This is an image of Blarney Castle near Cork, Ireland. It was built in 1446 by the MacCarthy of Muskerry dynasty. Most famously known for travelers visiting it to kiss the Blarney Stone, the grounds are also home to various attractions including Druid’s Circle, the Wishing Steps, and the Poison Garden. One of the most famous myths about the castle that when one kisses the Blarney Stone they are given the gift of eloquence and the skill of flattery.

Summer Vacation Nathan Kuhlman

“Adventures Await” Boulder Lake, Wisconsin. Hymn 332 Hap Hausman

Were you there when they crucified my Were you there when they laid him in the Lord? tomb? We were in Saint Dismas’ Church that day, I knelt in the second row, pretended to pray my mother, father and I, on Good Friday And thought about that flannel shirt. in a March when winter hadn’t ended yet. After mass, my parents babbled to Cornello The adults listened as Father Cornello about Father David’s brother, preached using words they would have scolded me about the murder of his deity and the kids for. wailed “Damned…” “Led his brother to hell...” out of spite until their parents took them “Unforgivable sin…” away. It caused me to tremble for myself. If I had done that, my parents would have scolded me, Were they there when I rose up from the insisted I behaved better than the other boys. dead? I smiled and gave the sign of peace to the I was wearing a rouge flannel. boy in rouge flannel Sometimes it causes them to tremble. In front of me. I tried to say “peace,” or to ask him his name, but my mind skipped too far ahead. I said nothing. Instead, I admired his flannel. Sometimes it causes me to tremble.

Were you there when they nailed him to the tree? Father Cornello didn’t settle for just one glass of wine (my parents told me this after a parish gala when I was twelve), but even when—or especially when—he had drunken fits, the problem was always Father David (Father Romero to my parents) who had performed a mar- riage for his brother to another man in April the year before, when all the snow had melted. They had him transferred to Nome, Alaska. Sometimes it causes me to tremble. Gratitude Journaling Bronwyn Tollefson

Gratitude Journaling, a nonexistent at the end of the the case, then it’s absolutely simple way to cultivate day to pick up my pen, put on worth a try! happiness my positive pants, and write Here is the first and down some good things that only step: Just start with one. happened. We have all been Don’t get overwhelmed. if there – those days where you one is all you can muster, so hy do we tend W don’t even have 10 minutes be it. But know that I am very to think about negative to clear your head. Where proud of you for deciding to thoughts so easily? Why do nothing is going right. Where see the good in everything! positive mindsets seem so every plan you made hits the My gratitude entry for the rare? When you think about fan, and where there are zilch day is being able to share this it, positive and negative out- avocados in sight to eat for post with you all, showing comes are both just as prob- lunch (ok maybe the last one ways to cultivate happiness, able, so why do we tend to is just me.) Anyways, I didn’t all for the common good. think that the worst-case sce- want to write anything. I was narios will come forth in all exhausted. I was angry, and cases? Don’t get me wrong, I I wanted to skip the whole don’t really know the answer journal altogether. At that to these questions (and if moment, I thought to myself, someone knows the answers “maybe I can do just one?” please tell me because I’m a So, I wrote that I was grateful worrier over here!), but I do for being able to practice my contemplate and investigate yoga this morning, oh and the thoughts that arise in my to see that kind lady smile at head, and I am aware that, me before class, oh yes and sadly, a majority of them are the sweet quote that I saw on pessimistic. However, I am Instagram. One after the oth- on a mission to change that. er, the thoughts flowed. All Last week I decided I needed was just one to put to start a gratitude journal – me on a positive path. I did to write down 8 things each reach 8 gratitudes that night, night that I was truly grate- and I can guarantee that you ful for (not sure why I picked could too on a day like that. eight but hey it’s a nice num- Gratitude journaling ber). Lo and behold, my first can be hard, especially on day of gratitude journaling days where happiness is an started on one of the worst uphill battle. But the truth is, days that I have had in the that is when you need it the last ten years. Yeah, you can most. What can you possi- guess that my motivation was bly lose? Negativity? If that’s Scholar’s Spotlight

Emma Smith Vision Leader Hellllo! My name is Emma Smith and I am a junior studying Justice and Peace Studies, Environmental Studies, and American Culture and Difference. I went on a VISION Trip to Memphis, TN my fresh- man year (whoop whoop) and I am so excited to be part of the VISION fam as a group leader this year :-). I love laughing, listening to musicals, being with friends, and learning as much as I can about the world around me.

Vision applictions for J-Term 2019 are due Oct. 5.

This will be Emma’s third year in the Aquinas Schol- ars Honors Program. Upcoming Events

OCT. Pine Tree Apple Orchard 20 12:00 p.m. Sat. OCT. Midterm Study Oasis 6:30 p.m. 21 South Woulfe Alumni Hall Sun. OCT. Halloween Event 24 6:00 p.m. Wed. OCT. Meet Your Mentor Drop-In 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. 24 CS Wed. NOV. Buca di Beppo 2 6:00 p.m. Fri. NOV. Pizza with a Prof. 12:00 p.m. 15 MHC 205 Thu. NOV. Holidazzle 30 6:30 p.m. Fri. Meet the Board

Paige Westra President Senior Brette Springob Vice President Junior

Laura Phillipp Secretary Senior Michelle Wise Treasurer Senior

Peter Wallace Webmaster Senior Althea Larson Publications Junior

Ben Kearney Recruitment & Orientation Junior Celeste Schumacher Social Media Junior

Ben Kraemer Academic Chair Junior Meet the Board

Lucas Tucker Academic Chair Senior Ashley Borland Social Chair Senior

Mariah Glinski Social Chair Junior Cheyanne Simpson Social Chair Sophomore

Victoria Morrison Symposium Chair Junior Makaio Goods Symposium Chair Sophomore

Taylor Weeks Service Chair Senior Henry Koller Service Chair Senior

Megan Gamme Service Chair Sophomore