College 3. Azn Culture in College Campus

A few years back, before I went off to college, my Godfather Marvin said to me, "Now son, don't you get stuck in the [AZN-ness] culture." I knew what he meant and it took some time to figure out what is the alternative. For me, it is even stranger, because I immigrated to this Country when I was in middle school, and I had much memory of my youth in Taiwan as I was growing up: the customs, culture, and practices sticks with me. What does Marvin meant then, of all this AZN-ness culture?

Well, I knew what he meant, but I could not quite put words to it until I've been at college for a few years living farther away from my culturally close-knit family and friends. For once, I was able to live just as me, living as a Catholic Christian in a diverse campus at UT. And I made a decision to stay away from the all too familiar "culture organizations" such as TISA, TASA, CSA, AACM, or the like. Why? I am Chinese, so why do I not belong to such organizations? Why do I not try to find my roots and get to know those of my origin? And to add to this further, there was often talks about "diversity" or recognizing "diversity" on campus and how there should be more awareness and what not. But in truth, all of these attempts are simply trying to point out the difference and make the contrast of difference that much more tensioned.

In these above organizations, and surrounding, people either have a feeling of comfort in knowing their superiority or have the flame to fight for injustices due to unfair treatments (and sometimes even for unbalanced treatments). And it is all to popular to see on facebook or casual conversation of people's stereotype relating to the AZN culture. They're smart, hardworking, innovative, etc., etc. But some things that people did not say: they're inclusive, always speaking their own languages and leaving others out, or they have such pride that it becomes difficult to exist with them together and not being the "white man" or other forms of odd one out. And to point out of the diversity, further antagonizes the situation. In instances, people within the group promotes this sort of "we should have our own [insert stuff]", and thus arriving to a separate but equal proposition, much to the contrary goal of "ethnic diversity" or "diversity awareness" in trying to integrate a large campus of diverse populous.

There is a second point that I wish to discuss of this issue, in relation to my Catholic faith. A very key and important aspect of the Church is that it is Catholic, or universal, in that it possesses the fullness of truth and that in many aspects of its Mystical Body such truth is encompassed. And to be separate into different branches of interests and even ethnic segments thinking that each segment have the full truth contradicts that spirit. We have to work together -- not separately on our own -- there is not a different Heaven for Asians than the Caucasians, nor the African Americans, nor the Hispanics, nor whatever division that separates people. At this point though, I must point out, however different my philosophy may be, or however crude and un-politically-correct it is, I do not intend to harm or charge the situation. My goal of writing this article, is to treatise and obtain for me the principle reason why I do not participate in the whole AZN-ness culture, and as part of my larger discussion in trying to define "Chinese Catholic in America".

And I understood a little bit of what alternative I should have of this AZN culture. I shall expound on this later.

TMH

Science and the Creation Story.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/scienceNewsMolt/idUKL0417855220071004?pageNumber=1

It seems strange to be arguing about putting the creation story into our science classes. For as far as I'm concerned, as an engineering student, I do not perceive too much scientific truth in the creation stories. But as a Catholic Christian I believe that there is much philosophical, if not theological truth, in the story.

Science classes are no place for religious studies or philosophical studies, although I would not be surprise that a good curriculum includes such contemplations.

None says that whatever the teacher teaches you in science class ought to be believe as truth or facts. In fact, the foundation of science is experiment and verification -- and through which a training in the arts of mathematics, logic, induction, deduction, and so forth. And it is with these tools that we wish to careful examine wisdom of outside and inside.

Some say that the scientific progress of this generation has fallen off, I say that is indeed so, we seem to forget that faith and reason works together to bind actions. One cannot do without the other. If one were to detest the very reason that science is based on and cling blindly to faith -- then not only will there be of no progress technologically, but also philosophically. But on the other hand, reason without faith has no basis, everything is relative, and whence shall reason be as murky as deep pond in dark night.

I guess the current thinkers of the day have forgotten the story of mutual inclusion as opposed to mutual exclusion. And the animosity set forth by those "religious extremities" along side those "scientific atheists" have gain an upper hand in disputing wisdom but quarrel within the realm of education of the young.

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I have to say though, teaching the creationism story in science class does seem a bit out of place at the present moment the way things stands. A compromise perhaps, is to add an additional philosophical course into the overall curriculum of the pupils in such matters, but not entirely based on the creationists side of it. And so is it with science classes, perhaps a little bit of reason ought to be taught -- the part about experimentation and verification of statements given -- as to avoid teaching Darwinism as the truth of origin, because in fact, to verify existence implies observation, best if observed directly, and hence we're already created and it's been couple thousands plus years of existence, it will surely be difficult to prove the direct observation of whether Darwinism or creationism is the correct one. Darwinism seeks to explore the temporal changes of the created species through changes in the creatures, whilst creationism seeks to explain the origins of the world in a purpose and moral side of the story. I heavily doubt that it will be easy to reconcile both with a simple mutual rejection of each other...

It takes much deeper contemplation and learning I say.

Edible Chicken. Part I.

Like many of my pet-peeves, this is my favorite one. It's chicken and it's edible, what else could be better? Edible Soy? (this part you laugh).

Anycase, life in general has been disorganized to say the least. Although there is one major development in life. And that development is kinda like an epiphany too. So I was in this job fair, we call them the Engineering EXPO, I realized that I really don't want to work in the industry yet, at least of the companies that came. I realized that I wanted to do something else -- not limited to the oil fields in Texas, or the weapon systems of some defense industry...I simply cannot imagine myself doing that for the rest of my life. In fact, admist conversation with the recruiters present, I sort of dwelved into this trance of discussions with the "recruters" in general as I go from booth to booth at the EXPO (of the boothes that I've pre-selected to be my "interest areas").


[I'll let you know how it ends, Oct 3, 2007]