Comment on 1-2; respond to 1-2 postings of your classmates.
*new*Bring Muslims, Evangelicals, and Atheists Together on
Campus - The Chronicle of Higher Education (not sure you can access this, but it is really good!)
*new*Beneath Washington Square, Forgotten Tombs Begin to Yield
Their Secrets - NYTimes.com
- Describe the Day of the Dead and its cultural significance. Pictures, too, if possible.
- Describe All Souls' Day and its cultural significance.
- Other current events--try to tie back to our readings:
*new* more discussion on the findings detailed in story below
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/despair-led-stunning-hike-mortality-rates-americans/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=pbsofficial&utm_campaign=newshour
Death Rates Rising for Middle-Aged White Americans, Study Find http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/03/health/death-rates-rising-for-middle-aged-white-americans-study-finds.html?_r=0
A Lonely End for South Koreans Who Cannot Afford to Live, or Die - NYTimes.com
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/11/02/world/asia/a-lonely-end-for-south-koreans-who-cannot-afford-to-live-or-die.html?emc=edit_th_20151102&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=25414714&referer=
Hong Kong’s Drive for ‘Green Burials’ Clashes With Tradition - NYTimes.com
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/10/23/world/asia/hong-kongs-drive-for-green-burials-clashes-with-tradition.html?emc=edit_th_20151023&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=25414714&referer=
Day of the Dead is a holiday celebrated in November in central and southern Mexico. It coincides with All Soul's Day, so the indigenous people have combined it with their own ancient beliefs to honor the dead. It is believed that the gates of heaven are opened at midnight on October 31, and the spirits of all deceased children are allowed to reunite with their families for 24 hours. On November 2, the spirits of the adults come down to enjoy the festivities that are prepared for them. The holiday is very expensive and takes at least two month's income to honor their loved one. There is an alter for the dead which is decorated with lots of food, toys, candy, skeleton, sugar skulls, and family touches. It is also believed that happy spirits will provide protection, good luck, and wisdom to their families.
ReplyDeletePictures
http://www.cnet.com/pictures/cnets-day-of-the-dead-devices-altar-pictures/9/
http://www.theguardian.com/culture/gallery/2015/nov/02/day-of-the-dead-celebrations-in-pictures-all-saints-haiti-guatemala-mexico
That is so much money!!! I didn't know it cost that much either. It reminds me of the paper we wrote a few weeks ago about if the dead can be harmed, about how sacred the dead are to us.
DeleteI think its awesome that they celebrate those who have passed. I feel like sometimes, after years have passed, we tend to forget to sit and honor those who we have lost in our lives. We may remember them some days, but we never really take the time to honor them. I think in a way, this is an amazing way to remember someone while also allowing yourself to move on. The only thing I dont agree with in the cost of the celebration. I think it is a little too expensive to be using two months income to celebrate a deceased, but that's just my opinion!
DeleteMegan I had no idea it cost that much. I had forgotten all that information and how sacred it was to the indigenous people. Thank you for posting that.
ReplyDeleteMegan I had no idea it cost that much. I had forgotten all that information and how sacred it was to the indigenous people. Thank you for posting that.
ReplyDeleteAll Souls Day is a huge deal for Catholics. It directly follows All Saints day on November 1st, which is a day to honor all those who've made it to heaven. All Souls day is a day to pray for all those in purgatory, who have not yet made it to heaven and are being cleansed on their sins. It's really powerful, especially for people who have had a loved one die within the last year. Often names of those in a parish who have died within the last year are read at an All Souls Day mass. It's such a big deal that priests are allowed to celebrate 3 masses (usually only allowed to celebrate 2 on any given day, only for big feasts are you allowed to celebrate 3).
ReplyDeleteHere are a couple articles about All Souls Day and it's connection to our modern-day Halloween:
http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/hallween.htm
http://www.catholic.org/saints/allsouls/
I didn't know that there was a limit on the about of masses that are allowed to be celebrated. Is there anything besides the masses that happens during those two days?
DeleteYou're encouraged to pray and visit the graves of your deceased loved ones. Customs depend on the country, like Mexico with Dia de los Muertos. They're both feast days so you're encouraged to celebrate appropriately!
DeleteSometimes I forget what is really meant by certain Holy Days of Obligation. I forget the importance of what we are praying and attending mass for. I now remember how important it is to pray for those who are in purgatory and are being cleansed of their sins. I also did not know that this was one day that priests are allowed to say three masses. That's pretty incredible to bend the rules. It certainly shows how important this day is to Catholics.
DeleteLast week my friend, who is an education major and lives in the dorms, came to my house and borrowed my kitchen to make "Pan de Muertos." She's Hispanic and she was teaching a lesson the next day about the Day of the Dead. It was really cool to hear the significance and symbolism of it (and to eat it!).
ReplyDeleteHere's an article with more information and a link to a recipe!
http://www.art-is-fun.com/pan-de-muerto/
"While it may seem morbid to go to a gravesite and eat bread shaped like bones, it is all part of an effort to reconnect with lost loved ones and rejoice in their memory. This isn't a somber ritual but a celebration. That's why pan de muerto is so sweet and delicious!"
Thats awesome! I love eating/drinking things from other cultures while also hearing the history that comes with it. It is almost like you were there celebrating also! Wish we could have done this in class!
Deletehttp://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/hero-boy-11-dies-saving-sister-hit-and-run-bus-stop-article-1.2424440
ReplyDeleteLittle boy gets hit by a car and dies after pushing his sister out of the way. It's so sad. I've been a little on edge emotionally lately and this story made me cry when I first saw it. It makes me happy knowing he saw this car coming and did what he could to help his sister with just a push, but unfortunately ended up giving his own life. I'm disgusted that the woman driving the car kept going after the accident. She was later caught and arrested thankfully but I mean come on lady! I just really want to know what was and is going on in her head.
Karen, I think it is horrible that the lady who hit the boy didn't stop and kept going. That is terrible, but things like that happen and people pay their dues. Secondly, I think the boy was a young hero for his sister because he did this righteous act of saving her life. I know it is unfortunate and sad that he had to pass, but he saved a life in the process. Both of them could have passed away since that lady would have never stopped. The boy will always be remembered by his sister because he save her and by his family by being a young hero.
DeleteWow, this was a hard one to hear about. Although a very sad story, the fact that the 11 year old boy knew to shove his 7 year old sister out of the way is amazing. That little boy was so protective and selfless at such a young age, which shows how he was raised. As for the driver, I hope she is prepared for what is coming for her. There must be something wrong with her that she hit a little boy and drove away... so sad.
DeleteOh my gosh, I can't believe the woman driving the car drove away after such a terrible incident! How can you take the life of a young boy and then drive away as if nothing happened. This is so devastating to me, because an innocent life was taken.
DeleteThis little boy died too young but he will always be remembered as a hero. They are trying to rebuild the local park which is old and worn down and they are trying to get a petition started under the boy's name. I think this is a great idea to rebuild the park in honor of La'Darious and the sacrifice he made by saving his sister's life.
DeleteThis woman can not be justified in anyway for her actions, but i do wonder what was going through the drivers head when the accident happened? Did she even consider stopping or did she immediately think she needed to get away fast? The little boy was so brave to think first of saving his sister, and i think that shows a lot about the mind set of this little boy verses the mind set of the grown woman driving. His family should be so proud that their son was so brave, and even though this was a tragedy, one of their children was able to survive the accident. I don't believe the woman driver will be able to live with herself once she comes to terms with what she did.
Deletehttp://www.foxnews.com/story/2009/11/04/3-missing-college-softball-players-found-dead.html
ReplyDeleteThis story really hits home for me since it deals with three softball players. These three softball players were just trying to have a fun night stargazing and something very unfortunate happened. I read another article about this and they had some dialogue from other teammates who had called them trying to get help and it was very tragic hearing them scream their names on the other line "Come help! Our car in the lake! Help," then the phone hangs up. That must have been so scary for the other teammates not knowing what was going on, just hearing them scream and asking for their help. It is very sad to see this happen and they had no idea what was actually happening until the car crashed into the pond. I believe however if they tried to calm down a bit then they could have properly bashed out the windows once the car was underwater. But, it was such a freak accident that I'm sure they were really scared and panicking in the moment. It is happy to see however, how after these incidents people will tend to become closer to one another and grow from it. Being a softball player, the team is your second family, just like these girls called their team for help since they are always their for them. After this happened, i'm sure it brought the team closer and everyone was able to lean on one another through this difficult time.
That is really sad that they died trying to do something they loved. I agree that if they took a second to calm down that they might of had a chance to escape, but sometimes the fear of dying takes over and it makes it difficult to rationalize what is happening. Do you know if they car was not parked or if they were on a hill?
DeleteWow, what a devastating story. I cannot even imagine being in this situation. I can't imagine being a player stuck in a car underwater, sitting there drowning and knowing that you are most likely going to die. I would be petrified and it just breaks my heart thinking about how much fear they probably had. It would also be devastating getting a phone call and thinking that maybe you could have helped and maybe you could have saved lives, but in this situation it seems as if nothing could be done. Like Eva said, they possibly could have tried to break the windows but too much was running through their minds that they most likely ran out of time. This story just really brings tears to my eyes because I cannot even imagine what these girls were feeling or thinking.
DeleteThere seems to be so many freak accidents that happen to young people and this is just another example. I cannot imagine losing three teammates and how it would impact the team. And it is true that sometimes it takes death or a tragedy to occur for people to come together and support each other.
DeleteIt can be so scary to think of the tragedies that occur everyday taking so many innocent lives. These athletes had their whole lives ahead of them, and living their final moments in fear must have been torture. I think this shows that we can't live our lives in fear because there are so many events that occur daily that we can't control. We need to enjoy every moment of our lives and take what life hands us. I hope their families find peace with this devastating event.
DeleteThis story is so devastating and sad. I can’t imagine the pain their families must feel. It’s so scary to think how fast life can be taken from us, a loved one or a friend. We are not guaranteed tomorrow and I think we forget this all the time. We are reminded how precious life is and the moments we have with one another when tragedies like this occur.
DeleteI was so surprised to read that death rates are rising among middle-aged white Americans because as a nursing student I am used to studying that disease and death is more common in other ethnic groups. Heart disease is the number one cause of death but as I continued to read I found that these deaths were caused by suicide or substance abuse. Heroin is a major growing drug in the United States right now and it is becoming a major cause of death in middle aged people. Studies have found that Americans with no more than a high school education are more likely to fall in this category and are raising the mortality rate for middle-aged Americans. Although middle-aged blacks still have a higher mortality rate, the comparison is getting closer. It is concluded that suicides, drugs and alcohol explain the overall increase in death. Doctors are unsure of why middle-aged whites have an increase in their mortality rate, saying it may be because of the difference in the prescription of opioid drugs and whites have more pessimistic outlooks on their financial future. Those who are least educated have the most financial distress. I think this article is very sad because money seems to control everyone. Although there have been studies done that shows that money does not provide happiness, people are still believing money is everything. When someone does not feel financially stable, they begin to turning to other things, such as drugs, to make them feel better and to maybe make them lose sense with reality for a little while. It is devastating that suicide and drugs are what is causing the mortality rate to go up and I hope and pray that this statistic can go down as soon as possible.
ReplyDeleteI read the article on "A Lonely End for South Koreans Who Cannot Afford to Live, or Die." In Korea, people are just dying in their homes with no one knowing and they are found a few days later. These "lonely deaths" are occurring more often in South Korea. The article shows a picture of a man visiting an unclaimed body that was kept in the morgue at the hospital. He showed respect by placing a table of fruit, dried fish, and artificial flowers in front of the morgue to show his respect. This saddens me to think that someone cannot even afford to be alive most likely due to medical expenses which can be very expensive. Then when that person dies they cannot have the proper burial traditions due to no money or family members to contribute to the funds.
ReplyDeleteI also read the article about "Bring Muslims, Evangelicals, and Atheists Together on Campus." It says that each religion has feelings of isolation on university campuses. According to a study done in 2007, evangelical Christian students felt misunderstood on campus and they often report experiencing antagonism and negative assumptions about their faith from other students and faculty. At Duke University, Muslims were given permission to sound the adman, call of prayer, from the bell tower at the university. A statement was said that Christianity is being excluded from the public square at the university. But these types of conversations need to be woven into our conversations at universities. I agree that religious diversity should be high-level, cross-campus, and sustained into the studies at a university.
The holiday The Day of the Dead i think says a lot about Hispanic culture and their belief about the after life. They put so much time and money into a holiday to honor and celebrate their dead loved ones because they were cherished so much in life. Even when someone dies it doesn't mean the love felt for that person is lost. They are celebrating their family and friends in the hopes that their lost loved ones will feel the love put out by living friends and family members. They want the dead to feast and be merry in dead as they did in life.
ReplyDeleteThe opposite turn of events is happening in South Korea where family members are refusing to claim dead family members because a growing number of individuals are unable to afford the grand funeral expected in the culture. It can be understood that poverty is a growing concern in the world, and spending money on a funeral can be a burden for the surrounding family members. It's sad that the deceased individuals have to be buried surrounded by strangers if anyone even shows up at all. I'm sure they would much prefer to be buried surrounded by close family and friends. This is known as a lonely-death. It's a tragedy because of financial burden that a family is unable to say their final goodbyes to their beloved family member or friends.
Middle aged white Americans are dying at such a high rate that they are increasing the death rate for the entire group. The only other disease to compare this to is HIV/AIDS. It’s incredible to think about how something so prevalent in our society can relate to something so fatal and destructive as AIDS. Suicides, drugs and alcohol are to blame for this rapid increase. These results are seen much higher for those that have received no higher than a high school diploma. Those that do not have a college diploma reported as being in most pain and having worse general health as well. It’s so sad to see something like drugs and alcohol affecting the lives of so many young people. We are supposed to be expanding the lives of people, not ending them early.
ReplyDeleteDetroit High School Students Serve As Pallbearers To Honor Homeless Veterans:
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated reading this article. All veterans should be given the respect and dignity of a proper funeral. It is the least we can do for them for serving our country. I believe that all veteran funerals regardless homeless or not should have decent crowd not 1-2 people attending