LAS 220 Post #1

Day One:

  Performing Memory in Latin American was a very enriching experience for me! We started by getting to know each other a little bit. Then we started talking about the logistics of the class, and what was expected of us throughout the time we have together. It was a very informal, laid back atmosphere, which I enjoyed very much because it helped me get settled in quicker. 

After that, we started to discuss the reading that we were assigned for class. The first reading that we discussed was by Jorge Luis Borges. This reading was a short story about a man names Funes, a man whom Borges knew personally, and who influenced Borges to write this story. Funes' story was very engaging and interesting. Funes was a young man who was injured at a very young age and became paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life. Although, Funes had a very unique set of memories that were perfectly sound, and very detailed. But, he could never tell how those memories made him feel. This sparked a large discussion in class about whether we pity this man because of this, or if we are envious. Personally, I said I pity him because of the experiences I have had with my Nana, who has dementia. We continued the conversation by connecting some ideas to our other reading by Jan Assmann. This reading was easier to pull apart and was relevant to the topic we were discussing throughout the entire class. The article talks about what cultural and communicative memories are, and the difference between the two. We talked about cultural memories becoming communicative memories over time, like 911 for Americans, for example. 

This class ended with a workshop about the importance of opening up a conversation about gender, race, class, privilege, and microaggressions (and how we can stop them in a respectful way). This activity helped me connect with the students in the class and made me feel accepted and heard, even if I did not have anything to say. 

Overall, this was a lovely first class and I look forward to the rest of our time together!

Sariah Warth