Random News Update

First item. As of about four o’clock yesterday, St. John’s College will employ me as an “office aide” for the Director of Admissions. My primary job is to give campus tours to prospective students who drop in for a quick peak at the school. I thank God for everything He’s provided! This is truly an appreciated blessing.

Second item. Tropical storm Ernesto is ravaging the area. I think I heard something in the news about the entire state of Maryland being washed away in an apocalyptic flood or something. I can only shrug. Johnnies aren’t scared by such trivial things. We ask important questions like, “What do you mean by ‘washed away’?” and “Can we really know anything about the weather?” Before we evacuate in the face of massive tidal surges, we must first allow for some deep introspection.

Third item. There is now a title associated with my name at this school. I’ve heard from more than one person a report that I am a very “interesting” person. At other schools, namely my old high school, this has a very negative connotation, but here it’s helping me meet all sorts of wonderful people. I also like to think that God is responsible for some of the encounters I had today, on the basis of my reputation appealing to others’ interests. I think the appropriate term to express thanks for my newfound popularity would best be described thusly: Sweet! (This has also allowed for two instances for me to witness to a person and all the other non-participatory people listening nearby. All I need to do is plant the seeds. Stay faithful. Stay true. Plant the seeds and reap whatever comes.)

Fourth item. My day. I woke up early to begin my seminar reading before I had any classes today. I don’t actually have seminar until next Monday evening, but I decided to delve into it because (1) I had no other pressing engagements and (2) my language and maths tutorials are on Fridays, with an unpredictable amount of weekend work for each. I read a few books, but I have three left until the end.
My language tutorial was interesting today. I knew as much about Greek coming out as I did going in, but what I did learn, though, were a few more things that I don’t know. As my peer Ms. Ansell said, “Sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know.” And from that I think there are other times when I do know what I don’t know. My notes:

• Is the nominative the thing itself? What’s in a name?
• Can a noun stand alone? [Is the verb to be implied with its usage, even in the mouths of children?]
• [Is the nominative different from the oblique cases of a noun?] You must have the thing before you establish relationships for the thing.
• We’re surrounded by nouns!
• I think the dative case is interesting. What is the dative case? [How do you describe the dative case to someone without using English prepositional phrases?]

Maths, ultimately, was more interesting, I think. We had to prepare the first four propositions of Euclid’s Elements. (To clarify, “preparing” a proposition is to study it and understand it to the degree that we could convey the truths therein to the class in whatever fashion we choose.) Three people were chosen to make a demonstration of the first three propositions at the board. They all did well. It wasn’t until after class that my tutor hammered me with the question, “What does demonstration really mean?” (An aside: nothing is easy for academes. In the context of the greater Program at St. John’s, the question is very significant, but to an outsider most of our inspections seem trivial and hopelessly semantic. They’re not concerned with making certain that everyone at the school has the same definitions for words such as demonstration, but more concerned that a student has at least come to a conclusion of what he means when he says he will “demonstrate” something.) Anyway, I’ll let some of my notes speak to my intrigue throughout the class:

• Don’t panic
• Equality. The word quality is found in the word equality.
• Think about the difference between carpentry and geometry.
• “Think outside the triangle.”

And now I’m off to the all-college seminar, which is occurring in place of our non-mandatory lecture, on Montaigne’s “Of Friendship,” a short essay. I finished it yesterday. I decided to sign up for it because I want to explore as much as possible. I want as much as I can get from the Program. I will sow in diligence, and only time will tell what I reap.

Fifth item. Praise the Lord.

(Do I use italics too often? I think in italics, so why not write in them? Right?)