Author: William Kirby

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The Importance of an Untold Story

Professor Street-Slater’s lecture on the Noulens Affair ranks among one of my top lectures thus far. The biggest reason for this is because I had no prior information of this event or its’ influence, which is really why I signed up for this course in the first place: to be exposed to new information that I would not get otherwise. I had never heard of the Comintern, Joseph Ducroux, Wong Muk Han, or any other people Professor Street-Slater mentioned. Yet, what I learned was essentially that the Comintern, the international council of the communist party in the early to mid 20th century, had sent operatives to Singapore to garner support and spread the word of the communist party. On June 1st, 1931, many of these individuals were arrested and detained for further questioning. Upon research, police officials discovered various lock-boxes filled with communist paraphernalia and Comintern documents. The documents contained information with names of Comintern members that were dispersed all throughout Asia and Europe. This led to immediate uproar amongst Asian citizens and it led to governments crackdowns many, including the French, British, and Chinese.

Professor Street-Slater explained how many the of apprehended individuals were sent to China to be questioned as the Chinese did not have the same laws and regulations as did the West when it came to interrogations. Much of the information being passed to European governments was being extracted and obtained in China, something that I had no prior knowledge of. Regardless, the reality of the situation is that the discovery in Singapore, what became known as the Noulens Affair, was incredibly threatening at the time. At this very time in history, which was the early 1930’s to 40’s, imperialists nations such as France, Great Britain, and China made it their priority to stem the spread of communism throughout the East. Communism poised a direct threat to colonialism and capitalism, and it was gaining traction among several different communities. Today, the significance of this event cannot be undervalued. Professor Street-Slater emphasized how very few times do we see the whole picture. The United States had yet to really get involved in its’ brigade against communism, yet what was so fascinating about this discussion was the fact that the Noulens Affair is just a small piece to the puzzle of what eventually would be the Cold War. It is intriguing to learn about the smaller, more detailed versions of the story that we now know played a huge role in the end. The Noulens Affair is pretty much an entirely untold story; Professor Street-Slater mentioned there are only three articles written about the event. For an event this impactful, this fact was very surprising, yet also enlightening as I realized how much we forget to remember from the past. Too often we look at the big picture and only remember the monumental changes. That is why, overall, I found Professor Street-Slater’s lecture truly captivating as it perfectly tied together the presence of the past, and its’ importance and impact in understanding the present.

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Space Study: An Entirely Different World

Professor McGrath’s lecture on the depths of space was completely fascinating and entirely captivating. She immediately jumped into the exciting world of space on her first slide; the background photo included tens of thousands of galaxies in just one picture. The entire image was lit up with vibrant colors and uniquely shaped designs. At first glance, I thought everything in the picture was a distant star or far off planet. However, Professor McGrath explained that it was a composite image of various telescopes that encapsulated thousands of far away galaxies; she told us that it took decades to put together and I was completely amazed. She went on to talk about all the different types of galaxies, explaining how scientists classify them based on certain properties like shape, age, etc. Professor McGrath furthered explained how galaxy evolution occurs on a timescale of up to one billion years! My ears immediately perked when I heard this fact; I thought to myself how on Earth can anyone study these evolutions? Thankfully, my confusion was short-lived as Professor McGrath revealed her profession’s secret: time travel! At this point, I am completely enthralled in everything Professor McGrath had to had and could barely find the time to look at my computer to take notes. However, I did manage to capturing some information that I found staggering. I learned that light travels at a finite speed of 300,000 kilometers per second; and henceforth, the time it takes for light from the moon to reach the Earth is one second. The time it takes for the Sun’s light to reach the Earth is eight minutes, and the equivalent statistic to the center of our galaxy is 27,000 years! All of this information was just meant to emphasize the fact that Professor McGrath and her coworkers work with materials and information that occurs in the past. Every piece of data recorded is reaching us for the first time and could be dated back centuries. Things seemed to get even more complicated when Professor McGrath mentioned the implications and effects of dark matter, unseen particles with gravitational influence. Yet, despite the obvious confusions in the field of space study, Professor McGrath mentioned several easy indications and hints for space study. For example, if looking into a telescope, you can conclude that the massive, blue stars live short lives and are relatively young while the low-mass, red stars live much longer with a greatly extend life cycle. Professor McGrath futher explained how the difference in color, design, structure, and content infers that there must be forms of evolution going on with these galaxies. Professor McGrath illustrated how her interest lies in the transition period, or the very beginning of the red star sequence. For people in her field, they must ask themselves what is the process that is moving the galaxies from blue cloud into red sphere? She disclosed leadings theories like black hole feedback, halo quenching, morphological quenching, all of which were ideas well beyond my pay grade. She explained how they know the cosmology (ingredients) of these galaxies, though the theory (recipe) needs more observational constraints as there is no single path to becoming a massive, quiescent galaxy. I asked if Professor McGrath ever gets frustrated with studying materials and information that is millions of miles away, “out of sight and out of mind”, quite literally. She responded, however, by saying that it was the reason she got into the field in the first place. She is fascinated by the neverending study and constant flow of information, which now, I must admit is what makes studying space and the world beyond Earth so special.

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“Trophy Fish”

Professor McClenachan’s lecture on the history of marine ecology was both extremely entertaining as well as enlightening. As a professor of environmental science, Professor McClenachan explained how she devoted her research and studies to marine life, in both the past and the future. Of all the lectures thus far, this was by far the easiest to understand. Many of the previous topics have been relatively complex and intricate. However, professor McClenachan’s talk was very straightforward: Earth is doomed if we do not protect environmental/ecological habitats. Professor McClenachan began the lecture by posting two different photos of ecosystems. Both were taken from an aerial shot and both provide a lot of context clues; it was easy to tell which forest was green and which wasn’t. Professor McClenachan repeated this process several times, each time asking “which picture was more environmentally and ecologically intact”. The answer was always easy to figure out until she posted two pictures of differing coral reefs (above the surface). One body of water was more blue than the other. But otherwise, it was quite difficult to tell how well the ecosystem was operating under the surface. With underwater photographs, Professor soon showed up which was which. Her point was to emphasize the fact that we, as humans, never see the direct impact happening in the ocean, under the surface. Professor McClenachan talked about a specific reef in the Dominican Republic that was almost entirely dead. She explained how we have gone on to lose more than 80% of all coral reefs in the past 25 years! This statistic absolutely blew my mind; it is frightening to see the reality of the situation, especially given how quickly this entire process has occurred.

Unfortunately, Professor McClenachan did not give hope for the future. Her personal work and studies were actually quite alarming and disturbing. She discussed in great lengths the outscope of her job and what she does. She emphasized how much of it was considered “ground work” and how she enjoyed participating in events and studies first hand. She then took us on “a trip” to the Florida Keys and showed us many of her observations throughout the years of her studies. She started off by comparing a ‘successful fishing day’ in 2007 to a ‘successful fishing day’ in 1985. The results were breathtaking; the fish in ‘85 were more abundant, larger in size, and monstrous in width when compared to 2007. The 2007 picture honestly looked like a board of bait fish, when in turn, it was supposed to be a board of “trophy fish”. Professor McClenachan did this exercise several times over, showing us fish from 1979 and even the early 1950’s. Everytime she moved another decade into the past, the fish got bigger and more abundant. It was truly heart wrenching to see the progression that the marine life has undergone in just one small area! Professor McClenachan explained how there has been a MAJOR loss of perspective from just one generation to the next. In total, the average fish has loss about 50% in length and almost 90% in weight; the studies are simply astounding. I could barely fathom the difference in fish from the 1950 photo to the 2007 photo. I can only imagine what fish are looking like today in 2019. Someone mentioned after in the question and answer session that these images should be displayed on a forum for millions to see. In my eyes, the visual imagery sends a clear enough message; no one can look at these photos and not help but feel a sort of helplessness. The works of people like Professor McClenachan need to publized and shared globally because if people do not wake up soon, it will be too late. The scariest part is that we are approaching the point of no return; we are almost at a point where it is too late to see fish like we did in 1979. I admire the works of Professor McClenachan as well as her colleagues as they’re working to fight a battle that has, unfortunately, proven to be almost impossible to overcome.

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The Importance of Detail

I really enjoyed Professor Berkowitz’s lecture titled “Anatomists and the Stolen Statues: Stories of Science, Art, and Religion”. Professor Berkowitz discussed the many detailed illustrations, constructions, and preservation methods used by early anatomists. It was fascinating to witness the incredible detail that Bell used in all his works as he truly viewed himself as an artist. His work were pieces of art; the detailed illustrations of the human body, the heart and specific organs was incredible. Professor Berkowitz discussed how Bell also became obsessed with the brain and its nerves. Professor explained how he wanted to display as much detail as possible as his works would be imperative in the education for students and others. There were works of fully anatomized corpses that were completely broken down and deconstructed in ways that provided an accurate observation of human nature for the naked eye. Given the time period, there works are simply breathtaking. Professor Berkowitz spoke about several altercations between Bell and his loved ones. Bell’s wife said of him: “From his faith and design he believed that in the works of creation there is no confusion”. In a conversation with his brother, Bell said “I established thus a kind of circulation if it were…the nerves take a simple arrangement, the parts have appropriate nerves”. He clearly had a deep passion for his work as he knew it was exceptional detailed and accurate. All in all, Professor Berkowitz highlighted the fact that students lacked basic literary and visionary skills; they would not know what is important versus unimportant. Bell’s work provided intense guides and instructions that made it easy for most to understand. Finally, Professor Berkowitz brought up the tragedy of the Notre Dame Cathedral. It was truly an emotional evening as the Notre Dame burned for several hours as the world watched. I enjoyed how Professor Berkowitz tied the tragedy to the beauty of the past and how, now more than ever, it is imperative that we learn and appreciate it in the present.

 

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Hope for the Future

I was really looking forward to hearing Professor Noh’s lecture, not only because of her connection to Colby, but because of the topic as well. I get excited for lectures that are being given by Colby professors; their knowledge and expertise are second to none. That said, there are so many different fields of study, and it is simply impossible to take a class from every single professor at Colby. Henceforth, these lectures are an opportunity to learn and hear a perspective that differs from the everyday mindset. Professor Noh’s lecture was no different, and although much of it was beyond my knowledge of expertise, it was truly fascinating. I really enjoyed her explanation of “next-generation sequencing”. She explained how she, as well as her colleagues, can read millions of DNA sequences on specialized instruments which, in turn, has revolutionized the speed at which scientists can study/evaluate DNA samples. This technological advancement completely blows my mind.

I have always been intrigued with DNA, chromosomes, etc. because my older sister has Angelman Syndrome. In short, she has this disorder because of a deletion of her 15th chromosome. This is what my mom has told me since I was about five years old, so the ‘prototypical’ spinning DNA samples with colors and labels have intrigued me for as long as I can remember. Hearing Professor Noh explain how advanced and specialized technology is was memorizing. It gave me hope for the future in which genome editing may become a significant part of everyday life. It gave me hope for people who have conditions completely out of their control. For example, Professor Noh explained her experiment of wild dicty strains and how she changed clonal and chimeric strains, and label certain nucleotides “A”, “C”, “G”, “T”. Much of the information went somewhat over my head, yet it is the idea that matters. This idea of shifting and shaping the DNA and molecular makeup of materials is extraordinary. THis is also why I believe Professor Noh has one of the coolest jobs in the world right now. I firmly believe that genome editing and DNA study will play a massive role in life over the next fifty years. Maybe one day I will be able to aid Professor Noh in is endeavour!

The last part of Professor Noh’s lecture that I found interesting was her explanation of lab sources versus wild sources. She illustrated how natural results are far much more favorable than lab results. In other words, Professor Noh explained how her experiments were far more accurate than others because of her use of wild dicty strains. Ok, yes, this does seem extremely obvious, and most scientists are considered smart people, so they should know better. I was honestly surprised to her Professor Noh explain how in so many different cases, scientists will use samples that are passed from lab to lab for years. If scientists are not consistently working for the most accurate results possible, then what is the point? She emphasized what I concluded to be the obvious: you are far better off using natural resources than not. Professor Noh reiterated the importance of correct/accurate results, something that has been a consistent theme with most of our visiting professors.

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Humoralism and its’ Relevance Today

Professor LeFleur’s lecture on theories of early sexuality fit perfectly into the theme of our past lectures and guest speakers. Beginning with an analysis of her recently published text, The Natural History of Sexuality in Early America, she explored theories of humoralism as well as climate theory, and overall sexual orientation in regard to these themes. With humoralism, Professor LeFleur illustrated the four corners of emotion as stable, unstable, introverted, and extroverted. I found these first few slides to be very relatable and applicable to the life I am living today. We live in a world that is constantly changing as people are consistently on the move; emotions play such a key role in who we are and how we present ourselves. All the emotions that were listed: quiet, passive, easygoing, sociable, impulsive, touchy, etc. were ones that I find balancing throughout my daily life. I find it hard to believe that you can categorize any one person as just one of these four characteristics. Emotions change every second; people are subject to change at any moment in time, though I did enjoy Professor LeFleur’s overall argument. I was also intrigued by Professor LeFleur’s point of humoral theory. This theory is the idea that the human body was a “porous envelope”, and therefore was deeply vulnerable to the impact and influence of the environment. She explored the theory of “cuffing season” to further this point. Cuffing season is the theory that as the weather gets colder, people are more likely to seek a ‘mate’ and couple up (with the inverse also being true). This is a theory that is completely reliant on the status of the surrounding environment. Logically, one would state that more couple are single closer to the equator. Though is idea is difficult to prove entirely, the theory holds its’ own. All of this tied into one of her final points which was climate theory. Climate theory was the idea that particular bodily arrangements and types, particular characters, and qualities were endemic to (and perhaps produced by) the relative heat or cool of different regions. This is just another form of studying sexuality in relation to the environment that has been reviewed and looked at numerous times over the years. Overall, I really enjoyed Professor LeFleur’s lecture as it explored ideas and theories that are applicable and relevant today.

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Concern For Our Planet’s Future

I truly enjoyed Professor Dimock’s lecture this past Monday titled “William Blake and Elizabeth Bishop in the Anthropocene”. It was an intricate presentation that incorporated real life problems with past pieces of literature. Professor Dimock provided a variety of messages meant to connect to a deeper understanding. Though the information was extremely captivating, the presentation was slightly difficult to follow and perhaps this explains why there were not too many questions being asked. Because no one was stepping up, I decided to ask about the end of her presentation where she went into detail about ocean pollution and more specifically, ocean acidification. I essentially asked Professor Dimock if, as a 21 year old in this country, we are doomed for the future? She started out by saying “Scientific research and information has no emotional impact on people”. She emphasized that the most impactful way to promote climate change and garner people’s attention is to SHOW them. She illustrated how the coral reefs in Australia are on track to become virtually nonexistent. Professor Dimock then implored upon the class that we are the ones who are going to be facing the repercussions for this mistreatment of our planet. Our generation must do a better job of utilizing all the information we have at our disposal. Professor Dimock further this point by stating how educated we are socially and on the internet. She made an amazing point when she told us how important it is to educate and teach ourselves about what is happening in the real world. No, I cannot go to Australia, swim around the coral reefs, and truly understand the horrors that are taking place there. Yet, I can surf the web and find someone whose made a detailed video of firsthand experiences and encounters that I would not have seen even if I were to witness the reefs first hand. Professor Dimock’s message was quite clear: older generations (and current) are not the ones wanting to deal with these issues. We are the generation that will have to face the consequences and assume responsibility. If we do not tune in now, then yes, maybe all hope is lost. Yet, overall, Professor Dimock did explain how we can slow the effects of climate change by limiting things like methane and carbon dioxide releases. As someone who is truly invested in our planets’ well-being, I really did enjoy Professor Dimock’s lecture as well as her overall work as it was both educational and entertaining.

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Understanding Today With Help From the Past

I truly enjoyed Professor Projit Bihari Mukharji’s lecture on Collecting Bodies, Bodily Collectives.  Determining the identity of human beings through acts of science and experimentation are nothing but fascinating to me. Professor Mukharji’s lecture brought me back to experiences I had as a child when I would watch CSI and Law & Order on TV and dream about being a detective working through autopsy reports and what not. Professor Mukharji’s stories were extremely enticing as events that have transpired within South Asia are few and far between when compared to myths in the United States. He illustrated how India has undergone a multitude of changes in which different surveys and statistics have been individually gathered. Beginning with the Survey of India in 1767, this process ended with the Anthropological Survey in 1946. This is intended for scientists to gather better results as he exclaims that good scientists must always isolate the specific samples they are interested in. Professor Mukharji used the example of a ‘fern scientist’ and highlighted the fact that no one fern scientist is capable of studying all of the ferns in the world; instead, they must concentrate their studies and narrow their research. That is what Professor Mukharji is attempting to do with his work and his studies. By exploring bodily traces, such as blood and bones, from a given area or community, scientists can collect data and conduct studies to produce new forms of identities located in the remote past or unforeseeable future.

Initially, I asked myself why we would want or even need to do this type of research in the first place. That said, in the question and answer portion of the lecture, Professor Mukharji emphasized that a short time ago, many of the samples and studies of genetic science were outdated and henceforth inaccurate. He explained how only 130 people study for the field of genetics, and although the field has expanded, small sample sizes and single trial experiments lead to inaccurate information. He offers the idea that learning more about genetics will not answer problems of race or genetic disorders/differences, but rather improve our general understanding of where we come from and who we come from. A full consensus will never be reached, and Professor Mukharji acknowledges this point repeatedly. In response to Professor Lijiang’s question about the morality of treating/studying humans post mortem, Professor Mukharji states that you must always be conscience when designing and conducting your study. On the other hand, organizing these studies is essential to our understanding of how the world works. We must keep working to expand our definition of life, where you come from, and why you are the way you are. Professor Mukharji acknowledges the fact that there is no such thing as data that is completely void of any racial or genetic assumptions. Henceforth, it is up to people like Professor Mukharji to conduct experiments and research that enables us to see past these assumptions and understand the world for what it truly is.

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Native History Reflection

I was very moved by Professor Thomas’ lecture on “Indians on the Reservation: Missionary Priests from India and Catholic Settler Colonialism”. For starters, I had little to no background information on this topic; I was bewildered by many of the facts presented during the presentation, yet enthralled by Professor Thomas’ story. I did not know that native peoples were not considered citizens by the federal government until the year 1924. I did not know that states held the individual right to construct separate laws within their own constitutes. Many states obstructed the federal ruling and did not permit native people’s right to vote until the late nineteen fifties. The last state to grant the right to vote was New Mexico in 1965, just over fifty years ago. I could not recall a time when I had learned about any of this during my lower level education, and was moved when Professor Thomas noted that many schooling systems omit a significant amount of Native American and Indian history.  

I truly enjoyed the personal stories of Professor Thomas. I especially liked how she shared the stories of all the different priests that would come and visit her family. What a neat experience to have priests constantly moving in and out of your home, sharing their knowledge and experiences. Professor Thomas best described it when she said, “Each brought a different meaning to life, a different way of expressing their beliefs”. This was something I could not relate to even in the slightest. I did not grow up with a strong devotion to religion and catholicism has played a minor role in my life. To hear someone else’s experience, when it differed so uniquely from your own, is fascinating. Furthermore, I loved how Professor Thomas had yearbook clippings as examples in her presentation. She also had quotes and examples of mistreatment by white Americans of Native peoples: “They spend all of their money. They get drunk. As a culture. They cant handle alcohol. Whether its genetics or whatever…”. Professor Thomas emphasized the importance of remembering and acknowledge this part of history as so many people try to belittle the displacement of Native Americans and the terrors they have endured. I was captivated by Professor Thomas’ closing statements: “For communal healing, the presence of the past is a must”. She highlighted that in order to move forward as a cohesive people, we must do so with the facts of history constantly present in our mind. They cannot be ignored or forgotten, the theme of both talks thus far.

In conclusion, I found some of Professor Thomas’ remarks during the question and answer session to be quite interesting. Her stories of how she grew up going to mass, in which there were more white congregants than Native, was surprising to say the least. She acknowledged her confusion as a young girl in the fact that there would be ten people and eight of them would be white. She further explained how it took time for her to understand why things were that way. Lastly, I was very intrigued by the story of her parents and the “controversy” they caused when marrying one another. They did not have an arranged marriage and this was seen as very controversial at the time. Overall, I enjoyed this second talk of history and how it is relevant and present in today’s world.   

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A Brighter Future Built Upon the Past

I truly enjoyed Professor Yoder’s lecture on Chancellor Angela Merkel and her political style in comparison to her predecessors. It was fascinating to note all of the significant differences between Germany’s political discourse and ours here in the United States. For starters, I loved that Germany refers to their political leader as ‘Chancellor’; it immediately jogged my memory and made me think of Star Wars and a main character, Chancellor Palpatine. Most countries defer to the usual ‘President’ or ‘Prime Minister’ title, yet Germany maintains a unique identity by sticking to ‘Chancellor’. Another difference is that the Chancellor can serve for an unlimited terms. I did not realize that Merkel has been serving in office since early 2005; she recently announced that this could be her last term in office, yet many believe, and hope, that she will run for reelection at least one more time. It is interesting to note this method of federal politics in relation to our own; in our most recent election, millions of Americans would have prefered that President Obama run for a third term. However, given our limitations on executive power, no man or woman can run more than twice. Consequently, we were left with two less than optimal choices, and Donald Trump became the 45th President of the United States. I now know that this would never happen in Germany. Professor Yoder expressed during the question and answer session how Chancellor Merkel thought that she would only serve three terms; however, she re-entered herself because of the threat of right wing populism, as well as the rise of Donald Trump in the East. And so, the Chancellor ensured that the political future of Germany did not rest in the hands of anyone but her own. She has the freedom and ability to do so, which is a glorious example of Germany’s political discourse.

Another portion of the lecture that captured my mind was Professor Yoder’s analysis of Chancellor Merkel’s public speeches. Professor Yoder began by highlighting the fact that since 2005, 67% of Chancellor Merkel’s public speeches contained/referenced moments from Germany’s past. Thirty-nine out of fifty-eight speeches invoked memories of the German past with 22 mentions of World War II and the Holocaust, and 21 references to the Berlin Wall and its’ unification. When it comes to Germany’s controversial past, Professor Yoder emphasized that Chancellor Merkel addresses it with a “never forget” mentality. Many of her speeches invoke emotion and prioritized moving on to a bigger and brighter future. That said, she constantly reminded the public of Germany’s past, and reiterated how important it is to always remember. Initially, I found this very bizarre and somewhat irresponsible. This was something that I would not expect; it was my inclination that leaders of Germany would want this history to disappear and never be heard of again. World War II brings about memories of destruction and levels of oppression that have yet to be surpassed. Logically, I felt that Germans would be embarrassed by their ancestors and their choices; I felt like Germans would stop at nothing to dispel this stain from its’ cherished history. Yet, because of Chancellor Merkel’s governance, Germany has been able to make tremendous strides. She has invoked a ‘welcoming culture’ and ensures that Germany maintains its’ responsibility as a powerful nation in Europe’s community. Overall, I was fascinated with Professor Yoder’s talk on Chancellor Merkel. I truly knew close to nothing in terms of Germany’s political discourse, let alone Chancellor Merkel’s. I was able to take away a great deal and am looking forward to all of the lectures to come.