The Journal of the Core Curriculum Volume XII Spring 2003 The Journal of the Core Curriculum Volume XII Julia Bainbridge, EDITOR Zachary Bos, ART DIRECTOR Agnes Gyorfi, LAYOUT EDITORIAL BOARD Brittany Aboutaleb Kristen Cabildo Kimberly Christensen Jehae Kim Heather Levitt Nicole Loughlin Cassandra Nelson Emily Patulski Christina Wu James Johnson, DIRECTOR of the CORE CURRICULUM and FACULTY ADVISOR PUBLISHED by BOSTON UNIVERSITY at BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, in the month of MAY, 2003 My mother groan'd! my father wept. Into the dangerous world I leapt: Hapless, naked, piping loud: Like a fiend hid in a cloud. ~William Blake Copyright © MMIII by the Trustees of Boston University. Reproduction of any material contained herein without the expressed consent of the authors is strictly forbidden. Printed 2003 by Offset Prep. Inc., North Quincy, Massachusetts. Table of Contents In the Beginning 7 Stephanie Pickman Love 10 Jonathon Wooding Sans Artifice 11 Ryan Barrett A Splintering 18 Jaimee Garbacik Ripeness and Rot in Shakespeare 22 Stephen Miran Interview with the Lunatic: A Psychiatric 28 Counseling Session with Don Quixote Emily Patulski In My Mind 35 Julia Schumacher On Hope and Feathers 37 Matt Merendo Exploration of Exaltation: A Study of the 38 Methods of James and Durkheim Julia Bainbridge Today I Saw Tombstones 43 Emilie Heilig A Dangerous Journey through the Aisles of Shaw’s 44 Brianna Ficcadenti Searching for Reality: Western and East Asian 48 Conceptions of the True Nature of the Universe Jessica Elliot Journey to the Festival 56 Emilie Heilig [the center is still & truth follows like a shadow] 61 Kristen Cabildo Ebony and Ivory 62 Benjamin Goshko Notions of the Male/Female Dynamic in Don Giovanni 66 Jacob Morrow Confused Magnificence 72 Cassandra Nelson The Tall Tale of Pecos Pete 77 Jacob Crane A Sober Shot 83 Linda Tan A Safe Place 84 Soren Johnson On Philosophy and Big Macs: A Debate on Social Science 91 Alison Watts Michelangelo, Cordelia and Pangurge on the Measure of Valor 99 Raja Bhattar In the End 106 Emily Patulski Artwork Kristen Cabildo 64, 70 John Hawkins IV 17, 108 Barbara Kitchell 20, 36, 51, 58, 60, 76 Joseph Jerome 90 Samantha Mascuch 89 Kelilah Miller 6, 30 Alison Watts 94 Analects 21, 47 S PRING 2003 Editors’ Note o participate in the Core Curriculum is an accom- plishment and a privilege. From Virgil to Voltaire, TDawkins to Durkheim, it has given us a grounding in literature, philosophy, science, and social theory that will stay with us as we continue to cultivate the ability to use our minds. The Core certainly persuades us to do so, as it encourages us never to stop thinking in new ways. At the close of this spring semester, many of us will com- plete the program. The rest of us will look forward to that accomplishment, while enjoying the privilege of being a Core student. The twelfth edition of the Journal of the Core Curriculum is a collection of essays, dialogues, poems, and artwork produced by Core students. These works were chosen on the basis of clarity, originality, and qual- ity of both writing and thought. The authors and artists whose works are contained in this edition best express the experience of Core. There were many excellent sub- missions that could not be included here due to space constraints, and the editors found the task of making the final selections difficult. Sonia Pasthuov-Pastein and Suzyn-Elayne Soler, intrepid Core staff, also deserve praise for their organization and assistance. We also thank Dean Johnson for the invaluable hours he has con- tributed to the production of the Journal. We owe Zachary Bos and Agnes Gyorfi special thanks for their layout skills. The Journal is the work of many and would not have been possible without their help. Julia V. Bainbridge EDITOR-in-CHIEF T HE J OURNAL OF THE C ORE C URRICULUM Kelilah Miller (CAS 05) is majoring in religion for reasons she still can't prop- erly explain. She is from Philadelphia (born and raised) and, as the weath- er gets warmer, can probably be found up in a tree somewhere. 6 I N THE B EGINNING In the Beginning Stefani Pickman n the beginning Mom created eternity"; and so he did. Then, Ieverything. She created the earth when the building was completed as a large, spherical mass of land, on the fifth day, Mom said, "Let made up of seven continents and there be electricity for all the needs several large bodies of water. And of my people"; and there was elec- Mom said, "Let there be animals of tricity. And Mom saw that the elec- all kinds so that the earth can be tricity was good; and Mom created filled with life"; and so it was. And the on/off switch, so that it would Mom saw that it was good. This not be wasted, for She was very was the first day. Then Mom said, conscious of her environment. This "Let there be vegetation for the ani- was the sixth day. On the seventh mals to feed on"; and so there was. day, Mom created the perfect place; And Mom saw that this was good. and she named it The Mall. This was the second day. Then After creating The Mall, Mom Mom said "Let there be people so grew weary and needed to rest; that I can take care of them"; and so and so She did. She allowed Stefani Mom created a woman, Stefani, in and Steve to go to The Mall, since it Her image and She saw that she was right around the corner from was good. This was the third day. the house that Steve built; but She Then Mom saw that Stefani was issued a warning. She said, "You bored, so She created a man to be shall shop freely throughout The her companion. So Mom caused Mall; but you shall not venture into Stefani to fall into a deep sleep and the store of sporting goods, for if removed one quarter of her brain. you do, you shall be punished." She turned this segment of And so they agreed with Mom and Stefani's brain into man. She entered The Mall. named this man Steve and She saw Stefani and Steve walked in and that he wasn't so good, but that he out of many different stores for a was good enough. This was the good part of the day. They were fourth day. growing weary and were about to Then Mom said, "Steve, you leave, until something caught shall build a home in which you Steve's eye: a brightly lit store that and your companion shall live for was as big as their house. He told 7 T HE J OURNAL OF THE C ORE C URRICULUM Stefani to go into the lingerie store store of sporting goods and picked and that he would meet her at the up a basketball. He put on basket- exit in a few minutes. Steve and ball shoes and a basketball jersey. Stefani went their separate ways. In the back of the store, there was a Steve slowly walked over to his court on which one may play. The store and stood at the doorway. In mascot went onto the court with the front of the store was a large Steve. They began to play. bear standing on his back legs Much time passed, and poor wearing an oversized, colored jer- Stefani waited for her companion. sey with "mascot" written on the She heard loud shouts coming front. He was waving his arms from one of the stores. She grew around and around while dancing curious and followed the noise to in a circle. Once the mascot saw the store of sporting goods. She that Steve was standing there, he looked in and saw that Steve had ceased dancing and waving his beat the mascot in a game, and was arms and looked straight at Steve. dancing wildly around the store Now the mascot was more tricky and shouting loudly. She stepped than any other being that Mom put inside and saw an abundance of in The Mall. He said to Steve, "Did tennis rackets and tennis clothes. Mom say, 'You shall not venture She ran over to them and put on into any store in The Mall?'" Steve the clothes. She put on the shoes said to the mascot, "We may shop and she picked up a tennis racket freely throughout The Mall, but and some balls. She walked out Mom said, 'You shall not venture onto the court as well and asked if into the store of sporting goods, or they wanted to play. Steve and the you shall be punished.'" But the mascot refused and went back to mascot said to the man, "You shall playing basketball. Stefani took off not be punished. For Mom knows the shoes. She took off the clothes that when you venture into it you and put down the racket and balls. will not want to leave, and you will She walked out of the store and out not want to go home and spend of The Mall. She walked all the way time with your companion, the home. woman, and she will be bored Eventually, Steve returned home again." and went outside to set up a bas- So when the man saw that the ketball court and hoop. He stayed store was filled with all kinds of out there for the remainder of the sneakers, sports equipment, and night, playing basketball with him- sportswear, he stepped into the self. The next day, Mom saw that 8 I N THE B EGINNING Stefani was bored and that Steve ture into them because the women was playing basketball outside.