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Liberal Arts Go Live in S.L.A.M. 2008
by Nathan Heath & Hilltop Staff*
Click photos to enlarge
If your boat has a rudder, you can sail anywhere
Bacteriophages in your sewage
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The science of muppets
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Jenny Lee looks at the Mexican border through Korean eyes
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Christine Hernadez-Cuenco plays a drama from her life
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Social experiments in song
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Virtual and real percussion blended
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The epistomology of eating disorders
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Graphic expression of the epistomology of body image
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What do you mean and what do others understand when you say "Christian?"
Would Jesus have killed Hitler?
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What do bacteriophages, eating disorders, a virtual funk band, and "sexy kind grilled-cheese sandwiches" all have in common? They were all the subject of presentations during the Mars Hill College SLAM 2008.
On Wednesday April 9, academic hum-drum was halted for the second annual Student Liberal Arts Mosaic, or SLAM. From 9:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., students at the college delivered 38 presentations and performances on a wide range of topics.
This year's keynote address was given by motivational speaker Eric Saperston, who shared his experiences during a post collegiate journey across the country in an old VW bus. He encouraged students to "wake up," and "live life in wonder," learning from those around us.
For one day, many students did just that and embarked upon their own journeys, in a quest for knowledge.
One of the 12 presenters during the first session was Jack Delaney, a junior biology major, who discussed an alternative to antibiotics that utilizes bacteria-eating viruses named bacteriophages to eradicate infection. Sewage is a bacteriophage magnet, so to acquire strains for experiments, Delaney raided the Mars Hill sewage treatment plant and stocked up on "poo".
Meanwhile in Belk Auditorium, Jaclyn Bowen talked about time she spent in Tennessee socializing baby wolf cubs in preparation for pack life, while in the Media Center Joseph Quattlebaum, presented an edgy look at what it means to say "I'm a Christian". He questioned people on what they believe qualifies someone as Christian, and found a wide range of answers, which suggests that we often have our own interpretation of what a contemporary Christian life style entails.
A group of athletic training majors drew a lot of athletes, specifically football players, during their presentation about a spinal injury sustained by a Mars Hill College athlete during football practice.
A theme shared by at least three different presenters was our culture's unrealistic conception of what it takes for women to be pretty, or ideal. Alicia Andrezejewski and Allison Schafer gave some unsettling statistics, such as "90 percent of women today believe that they are overweight," and "15 percent of female athletes display symptoms of eating disorders." Miley White told how she interviewed women about their negative body concepts and incorporated their replies into her artwork.
Throughout the day, student presenters shared their passions about a multitude of topics, ranging from citizen rights to immigration, from philosophy to muppet voices. They talked about the impact of weight training on adolescents, and about the importance of moving the college towards environmental sustainability.
During an Arts Break, Phil Bronson demonstrated how he created his own funk band by using a computer program called "Garage Band," then pairing it with his own live percussion.
Christine Hernandez-Cuenco gave a one-act play, a dramatization of the most difficult event in her life, when her church discovered that she was falling in love with another woman.
At 11 a.m., Eric Saperston took the stage in Moore auditorium. He opened by speaking of life's journey and serendipity. "We are all on a journey. Some people go to sleep. I suggest they wake up and be in awe."
After graduating from San Diego State University, Saperston decided to "follow the Grateful Dead, and work the ski season at Aspen." He was discouraged by his peers, but then in an ironic twist of fate he met Peter Fonda, best known for his role in Easy Rider, who encouraged Saperston to "travel while young."
His mentor thought he should deepen his purpose beyond skiing and rock bands. "You're already good at those things. What else can you do?" He thought about it. What if he called up some of the most powerful people in the world and took them out for a cup of coffee? Ask them about the struggles that they've endured and for any advice that they might give him?
And so, in a 1971 Volkswagen bus, with Peter Fonda's blessing and a golden retriever named Jack, he embarked on his journey.
Although his initial attempts were unsuccessful, during the course of his journey things began to fall beautifully into place, and he met and interviewed more than 200 people. From Jimmy Carter, Billy Crystal, and Ken Kesey to an old married couple he encountered while peddling "sexy, kind, grilled-cheese sandwiches made with love" for a dollar -- all taught him something valuable about life. "Whatever you request from the world, the world will match it," he said.
He had grown up around his father, who suffered from partial paralysis after a stroke at age 28. "When you spend your life with a bitter man, you learn a lot about what you don't want to be." Saperston realized that he wanted "to be someone who wakes up excited and goes to bed fulfilled."
As he bumped along in his old Eurobus, he assembled an unlikely posse, in what he humorously refers to as a "modern day Wizard of Oz" scenario. "I picked up the Scarecrow, Ttin Man, and the Cowardly Lion." -- which left him to play the role of Dorothy. He emphasizes that "invisible hands will guide you along your journey." One of the additions to his crew was a cinematographer working for The Real World, whom he happened upon at a hotel in Austin, Texas. She proved to be a crucial asset in turning his adventures into an award-winning documentary.
He closed his speech by holding up a model sailboat as he shared advice he was given by one of the many people he interviewed. The most important part of a boat, he said, is the rudder. "A boat without a rudder drifts… The rudder is your foundation -- your commitment, your values, what you stand for. In times of turbulent waters, it's that rudder that will keep you on track…"Put yourself on the course, and have a deep rudder."
The day was concluded in Pittman Dining hall, where students crowded in for the chance at winning various prizes, including several iPods and a package containing among other things, a book by Saperston, his documentary The Journey, and a slam T-Shirt.
*Nathan Heath put together this story based on reports from Hilltop Reporters Sable Adams, Paul Annas, Yonatan Arnold, Katie Bolton, Kacie Cardwell, Josh Coburn, Caitlin Daly, Shawn Esworthy, Lesli Frazier, Doug Green, and Rob Hunt.
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