"...for Liberal Education: The Case of Aikido"
Written in 1989 as a revision of a 1984 article, "The Liberal Arts and the Martial Arts," the article stands out to me in several ways.
First, in the first couple pages, Levine establishes clear links between Jutsu and Techne. If I am to work on rhetoric and MA at all, this is an obvious place for good ground.
Second, Levine differentiates between Budo and Bujutsu. I am not sure if his distinctions are accurate, so I want to read and confirm with Donn Draeger's texts before I go to far.
Nice quotable connection on page 2 between paedeia and Budo.
Some good introductory discussions and sources for more information on liberal education and humanitas.
Interesting points about democratic/scattered nature of western culture and the authoritarian/focused nature of many Asian martial arts.
Another interesting point of comparison might be how with the rise of MMA, and thus the cross-fertilization, much of the provincialism and authoritarianism (pg 10) might wear out, die out, or go away. Simply put, in an era of information exchange, dogma will not cut it if your fighters always lose. In writing/composition, if your students do not pass tests, if your grad students do not get work, if your MFA people do not get book deal or contracts, they are not succeeding. And, rightfully so, they should leave you for another school which enables success.
This, of course, invites discussions of success--market versus personal--but I am only addressing the competitive nature and applications of MA in academia.
We could talk about arete, and I am glad that Levine mentions it several times. Arete, just like paedeia and humanitas, deserve a lot more of my attention.
Levine's profile at U Chicago
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009
TTU's Dissertation Advice
Official dissertation advice from TTU. I find it useful to remember things like this.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
More on the Higher One card
Citing Gillian, with permission, from the TTU TCR list:
The "Higher One" is a card that TTU financial aid is using now as a means to dispense financial aid funds. Several cautions on this:
1. You must have this card, and must activate it in order to receive financial aid (when you activate it, you may select to either use this card as a debit card, or you can have funds deposited directly into your checking account). TTU will automatically deduct your term bill before they issue a refund.
2. It is easy to accidentally throw this out (it looks just like a credit card offer).
3. If you do not get it soon (like you probably should have it by now), you must call financial aid to get a replacement (the Higher One Company cannot issue a replacement unless the financial aid office tells them to.
Finally, I will tell you that financial aid can be a nightmare at TTU. If you call the Financial Aid Office, it is likely that you will get different answers depending on who answers the phone.
The "Higher One" is a card that TTU financial aid is using now as a means to dispense financial aid funds. Several cautions on this:
1. You must have this card, and must activate it in order to receive financial aid (when you activate it, you may select to either use this card as a debit card, or you can have funds deposited directly into your checking account). TTU will automatically deduct your term bill before they issue a refund.
2. It is easy to accidentally throw this out (it looks just like a credit card offer).
3. If you do not get it soon (like you probably should have it by now), you must call financial aid to get a replacement (the Higher One Company cannot issue a replacement unless the financial aid office tells them to.
Finally, I will tell you that financial aid can be a nightmare at TTU. If you call the Financial Aid Office, it is likely that you will get different answers depending on who answers the phone.
May & Summer Finances
May and Summer come as lump-sum financial hits. From what I gather, there are no payment plans. And, if you have taken your max financial aid for the two primary terms, there's additional paper work and higher interest rates for summer financial aid.
In short, save up money--all that you can--from the two prime terms to pay for Spring and Summer.
In short, save up money--all that you can--from the two prime terms to pay for Spring and Summer.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Which Martial Art?
I am still amused with how uncommitted I can be at times. When I applied to TTU, I was starting Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and continuing with my running. Given my workload the past term, I had little time or motivation to go grapple. Grappling is very intense, and I, frankly, was too tired or not in the mood after long days teaching. My teaching was too important to me. So the BJJ slid. Still, in spite of this, I continued to jog.
Now, six months after I was finalizing my application, I cannot see committing to BJJ. Not where I currently am psychologically and emotionally. Sure, I'll be happy to go there and learn some of the training techniques, improve my non-existent ground game, and, generally speaking, work out with some tough guys. I am not prepared to do that every time I go to train.
In the mean time, I've learned that one of my colleagues at HSU is opening a Tae Kwan Do school. In addition to competing at world cup level and training with Olympic competitors, he teaches composition. Hmmm. Limb destruction and effective use of quotations in the same three minute span... Of course it makes sense.
In a lot of ways, the actual individual art does not matter that much to me. What matters is the spirit of instruction, the caliber of teaching, the heart of the school, and the efficacy of the art. So, I've shifted yet again. I find it highly entertaining that each time I think I have found what it is I am going to do for the rest of my time things change. Then they change again.
This shifting, being slippery, is how many of our students live in FYC. They do not have a clue what their major will be, and each week it's a radical and new commitment. So, here I am, as a student, experiencing exactly that same kind of shift. This kind of shift, this lack of surety is certainly going to be good for my sense of professional balance and placement!
So, for now, it appears like I'll be studying Tae Kwan Do. But I will continue to run. For the time being, much of my running is dedicated to interval work. It's a good change, but it's exhausting.
Now, six months after I was finalizing my application, I cannot see committing to BJJ. Not where I currently am psychologically and emotionally. Sure, I'll be happy to go there and learn some of the training techniques, improve my non-existent ground game, and, generally speaking, work out with some tough guys. I am not prepared to do that every time I go to train.
In the mean time, I've learned that one of my colleagues at HSU is opening a Tae Kwan Do school. In addition to competing at world cup level and training with Olympic competitors, he teaches composition. Hmmm. Limb destruction and effective use of quotations in the same three minute span... Of course it makes sense.
In a lot of ways, the actual individual art does not matter that much to me. What matters is the spirit of instruction, the caliber of teaching, the heart of the school, and the efficacy of the art. So, I've shifted yet again. I find it highly entertaining that each time I think I have found what it is I am going to do for the rest of my time things change. Then they change again.
This shifting, being slippery, is how many of our students live in FYC. They do not have a clue what their major will be, and each week it's a radical and new commitment. So, here I am, as a student, experiencing exactly that same kind of shift. This kind of shift, this lack of surety is certainly going to be good for my sense of professional balance and placement!
So, for now, it appears like I'll be studying Tae Kwan Do. But I will continue to run. For the time being, much of my running is dedicated to interval work. It's a good change, but it's exhausting.
Preparing for January
I am still on vacation, and I am attempting to do nothing related to composition, the PhD program, or official identity stuff at all. Hmmm. What is a boy to do?
I have been cleaning and organizing papers and books and cds and dvds the past couple days. It is obvious that I am in love with texts. Media. I love them. But I think the true vehicle of my passion is the photocopy machine. Nearly tied with the Xerox is the laser printer.
As I have cleaned things out, I have found stacks of handouts for my classes, print outs for lesson plans, articles that interested me at some point three years ago, and an endless sheaf of aborted Greg-authored texts. Hoo boy. Someone, please, help me organize my writing!
Perhaps most stunning is that I have been oblivious as to just how reliant, how dependent I am upon the laser printer and Xerox. Honestly, I should construct an altar or pen an ode to their value. Really. I have little idea on how I could have completed my professional identify without either of them. And when I think about my pops typing up his PhD on a MANUAL typewriter with CARBON PAPER, I shudder. Shudder.
So, in the New Year, I promise to be more vocally grateful for digital reproduction devices.
In the mean time, I have used this organizational time to clear shelf space for my PhD work. In order to clean space, that means I must pitch stuff. Pitching stuff means that I must make mental room for doctoral work and toss a bunch of semi-aborted projects which have collected but retain near-dead emotional energy. You know, that short story outline which is gasping for life but will never see the light of day, the seven successful steps for student success book outline that will never get past the write-up, the modestly written guide to effective thrift store shopping that, somehow, could never get past page four. Yeah. All that stuff has to go. Filed, stashed, and cut off.
I cannot speak for others, but I am emotionally involved and connected to my texts. Stacks of old work means stacks of old emo-memories. Instead of letting them go fallow and slowly die, I'm putting them out of their misery. My PhD needs my attention and energy.
It's time to cut bait. Funny thing is this: I feel so much better now that I have done this. And I feel revitalized!
I have been cleaning and organizing papers and books and cds and dvds the past couple days. It is obvious that I am in love with texts. Media. I love them. But I think the true vehicle of my passion is the photocopy machine. Nearly tied with the Xerox is the laser printer.
As I have cleaned things out, I have found stacks of handouts for my classes, print outs for lesson plans, articles that interested me at some point three years ago, and an endless sheaf of aborted Greg-authored texts. Hoo boy. Someone, please, help me organize my writing!
Perhaps most stunning is that I have been oblivious as to just how reliant, how dependent I am upon the laser printer and Xerox. Honestly, I should construct an altar or pen an ode to their value. Really. I have little idea on how I could have completed my professional identify without either of them. And when I think about my pops typing up his PhD on a MANUAL typewriter with CARBON PAPER, I shudder. Shudder.
So, in the New Year, I promise to be more vocally grateful for digital reproduction devices.
In the mean time, I have used this organizational time to clear shelf space for my PhD work. In order to clean space, that means I must pitch stuff. Pitching stuff means that I must make mental room for doctoral work and toss a bunch of semi-aborted projects which have collected but retain near-dead emotional energy. You know, that short story outline which is gasping for life but will never see the light of day, the seven successful steps for student success book outline that will never get past the write-up, the modestly written guide to effective thrift store shopping that, somehow, could never get past page four. Yeah. All that stuff has to go. Filed, stashed, and cut off.
I cannot speak for others, but I am emotionally involved and connected to my texts. Stacks of old work means stacks of old emo-memories. Instead of letting them go fallow and slowly die, I'm putting them out of their misery. My PhD needs my attention and energy.
It's time to cut bait. Funny thing is this: I feel so much better now that I have done this. And I feel revitalized!
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