Technology Revolution

This past week has been quite fascinating for several reasons. My classes are picking up so we are discussing more substance which is exciting. So far I am really enjoying my World Politics, Mythology, and Senior Seminar courses.

I reconnected with my home church here in Cape. I am playing bells again with the bell choir here at St Andrews and reunited with my church family. While some things have changed, St Andrews is very much the same and I am happy for that.

Speaking of change, here's the big thing that has really revived any undertones of culture shock: I am now one of the old people here at school! It is strange to have left SEMO as an underclassman, the baby. Now I'm an upperclassman and everywhere I go I see students that look way too young to be in college. It has been especially weird since I am taking one of my Senior Seminars, where everyone is in there last semester, and on the other side of the spectrum, I'm finishing my general courses, where everyone is underclassmen. It has been an interesting contrast, but it makes me feel in limbo: I'm not quite to that graduating stage but I feel out of place among all the Underclassmen.

In addition, I am in a situation that I never experienced while in Korea: I have no means of convenient transportation. I do not own a car, there is no public trans like in Korea, and it can be difficult to coordinate rides with other students given our schedules. I like my independence and to not have to inconvenience others in order to help me. It is one of the things I really miss about Korea: I could jump on a bus or train and go anywhere anytime. I miss that freedom.

It has also been difficult to be surrounded by English 24/7. I miss the challenge of constantly trying to figure out what was being said. Now anytime I hear a foreign student I am relieved by that touch of diversity. Fortunately, I have met a Korean girl on my floor here at school. She is very sweet and is willing to help me with my Korean. I have also met several other Asian students, who have been so happy to meet an American who knows about J-pop and Cantonese movies. I hope that I can continue to learn and appreciate other cultures while studying here in the USA.

One of the most interesting aspects of this week was the uproar over SOPA and PIPA by the Internet Community. I first heard about these bills a few weeks ago, but it wasn't until I discussed these bills with a few well informed friends that I fully understood the severity of these proposals and the consequences they would hold. I was relieved to see they did not pass, however, I am sure that more bills like them will be written in the future.

Basically, they were protections of copyrighted material on the internet. While that is a noble thing to defend, the issue was that they would take it to such an extreme that it would shut down virtually every site that is used to connect and share information. The internet is still something that we don't fully understand, and it is dangerous to write legislation concerning an entity that is developing at a rapid rate and has shown potential to revolutionize the way we communicate.

In my Organizational Communications class this week, we discussed the implications of emerging technology and social media in the way individuals communicate. My professor used the example of the printing press as the first medium of media that deemed the previous media obsolete (handwritten books). I had never viewed the invention of the printing press as the first step to today's internet revolution, but it is the first monumental shift in media in history. My teacher also discussed the rapid rate in which both computers and the internet is changing. He talked about how this will revolutionize the way we read (ebooks replacing traditional books, even textbooks, our school will shift to ebooks within the next five or so years), the way we connect with professionals and individuals, the way revolutions begin (as evidence of the Arab Spring from last year), the list goes on. I do not and I don't think the majority of the world fully understands the implications of these new technologies and just how fast they are changing. It will be interesting to see within the next five years just how much changes compared to 2012...

First Week of School and 설날

Happy 설날 ("Solnal" Korean Lunar New Year) and Happy Chinese New Year! As many of you know, I just returned from studying in Korea for 16 months. Solnal is now a holiday I celebrate and appreciate for its significance to over a third of the world's population. Almost every country in East Asia celebrates a Lunar holiday, whether it is called Lunar or Chinese New Year. This year marks the Year of the Dragon, which is a significant year in the calendar. We will see if it lives up to the expectations!

This past week was my first week back at school here at SEMO. My classes consisted of reading syllabi, the necessary monotonous week of the semester. I am excited about my classes, from the descriptions they look like they will be interesting and some will prove to be a challenge.

I am taking my Senior Seminar for my Communications degree this semester (I will need to take another seminar for my other major as well next semester), it looks like it will push me to get back into this American university groove. It is a joint upper level undergraduate as well as graduate level course, so there will be a diverse group of individuals discussing the subject matter in this class.

On Wednesday, I celebrated Martin Luther King Jr Day by attending the Civil Rights Celebration Dinner, which is held yearly at my school. I was fortunate to attend by invitation as an Honors student by the Honors school, so I was very excited to be a part of the celebration.

The keynote speaker was Former Governor L Douglas Wilder, the first African American Governor in American History. I was so honored to hear this man, who has lived through so much history, share his life story and words of wisdom to us students. He fought in the Korean War, which was moving for me since Korea remains dear to my heart. He also served in the State Senate as one of the first African Americans in US History to do so. He became Governor of Virginia in 1990 and remains one of the most popular Governors in Virginia's history. He focused on the importance of pursuing your ambitions and never allowing others to degrade your potential. He reflected that this ideal applies to all American young people and urged every individual to fulfill their hopes regardless of what society may say. I found this very inspiring, here is a man who has lived this philosophy that I hope to continue to strive for. His message is universal and I hope to be able to instill that message in every person I impact in my life.

Reflecting on the Civil Rights Movement in America made me realize how far we have come. I believe there is still a lot of work to be done, but we continue to press towards that goal of judging others by the content of their character. It is my prayer that King's message will break the chains of prejudice around the world, that every persecuted people group will find acceptance from those that persecute them. King's message applies to all people, not just here in America, it is a universal message.

The Return to SEMO

I am back where this whole college education thing began. I moved back into dorm life here in Cape Girardeau to begin another semester at SEMO. I was accompanied by an armada of Kehe's (Dad, Mom, Bethany, Hannah, and Ben) for the move. I was assigned a room in Cheney Hall, which is one of the oldest dorms on campus. It also has some of the largest rooms, which is a wonderful contrast to the cozy rooms at SCH. I like Cheney so far because it is small, it has a lot of historical charm, and it is out of the way of things, there aren't any Frat houses right outside my dorm like in my Freshmen year. My roommate is an English major and is focused on her studies, which is very encouraging for me in my studies.

Tomorrow I begin my classes, here is a list of what I will be taking this semester:
Comparative Political Science
Modern European History
Interviewing
Nutrition for Health
Mythic Dimensions in Literature
Organizational Communication

I will also be taking Oboe lessons and Reed making. I am hoping to get involved in a few other activities, more on that later.

Back in the US of A

Well, I felt it was appropriate for my Korea blog to remain a Korea blog, thus ending the life of "To Travel is To Learn." I enjoy reflecting on ideas and events that currently confuse or fascinate me, so the beginning of "Live and Learn" has commenced. This will be a place where I will share what is challenging me or causes me to think as I continue my education at SEMO. I am a firm believer in the philosophy that you never stop learning, life is a series of learning experiences. I hope I can entertain you as I share what I learn in my life.

For those of you who read my Korea blog, I left off with my surprise on Christmas Eve. I spent the first few days completely comatose at home. I was not allowed to drive since I was removed from insurance while I was gone meant that I could only leave when someone else was going somewhere. I also did not enjoy the same rebound to jetlag that I experienced in Korea where I took a two hour nap upon arrival and then ran around Seoul for the first time. Nope, I had no way to leave, so I napped....for at least 4 hours at a time. Ben began to think I would never recover. After four days, I finally began to sleep on a normal schedule and the family rejoiced. Over the last two weeks I have traveled through five different states visiting family in WV and Wisconsin. Like my immediate family, I surprised my extended family, which resulted in just as shocked reactions. Lots of laughs and home cooking!

I am now packing for my return to SEMO. I leave for school Monday and will live in the renowned Cheney Hall, one of the oldest buildings on campus. It is an upperclassmen dorm and is a much more quiet place than my freshmen dorm in the hub of campus. I am curious to see what has changed since I left.