A note on taking pride in your school.
As I’ve mentioned in just about all of my posts, I love my school and am grateful beyond words for it giving me the opportunities it has. Today the leadership development section of my school hosted an event in which students learned more about networking and professionalism and today I met someone who failed so terribly on both accounts– someone so egregious in nature that if I ever encounter him again I will thank him for forever being my living example as how not to act.
At the end of the program students, alumni, and local business people sat down for a networking luncheon. I chose to sit down at this individual’s table because he was alone (I suppose that should have been my first sign). We introduced ourselves and I asked him if he enjoyed our school’s newest building. His retort was that he helped design the building and said so in a very ostentatious manner (the second sign). He then asked me what major I was in and when I replied “history”, ———he cut me off and began lambasting the program.
Hold up.
You are here as a professional, representing past alumni, representing future opportunities to up and coming leaders. And you said what?
When you tell me that you think the history program is “clickish”, back up your statements. When you tell me that professors in the department are “choosy”, by all means, clarify. When you said your son wasn’t accepted into the program and felt unwelcome, do some research. Because last I checked, students in my OUTSTANDING major come from all walks of life. There are poor people, there are insanely rich people, and there are people everywhere in between. We have white people, we have black people, we have Asians, we have Spanish and Latinos, we have Middle Eastern, we have Central and South Asian, we have it ALL. There are Jews, Christians, Muslims, atheists, agnostics, spiritual, practitioners of Eastern religion, and those who simply are undecided. We have straight people and we have gay people. We have people with learning disorders and people with disabilities. So tell me how we’re “clickish”, please tell me. And last I checked, if you wanted to be accepted into the program, you had to go to Upper D-Wing, fill out a change of major form, and that was it. So before all the other statements you made, you began with one huge fallacy. You know what DOES unite everyone in my department though? The fact that we are all passionate, we all work incredibly hard, and we are dedicated to learning more about ourselves, the world, and where we fit in.
Anyone who thinks they can bash the professors at this school is crossing a serious line with me, especially if they attack the history department. ”Choosy”, you say? If I remember correctly, and I believe I do as I’ve done it at least eight times, THE STUDENT chooses the class, not the other way around. But you know what? If you work your ass off, if you show your professors that you are dedicated to your studies, passionate about research, and show willingness to be tested to your full capabilities, then they will reward you beyond belief. That’s being chosen for a reason. Don’t tell me there’s petty favoritism going on. It just isn’t there. These professors are almost all ivy league, they’re not bullshitters. But this individual, he was.
The last point I want to make refers to his supposed role as an individual, and this is my final point I make to anyone reading this who takes pride in their school: defend it. When this individual starting talking trash and saying he knew of many students who told him they couldn’t wait to get out, that they wished to have enrolled somewhere else, or that they thought this place was a nightmare, think twice about who you say it to. This man has never seen me in his life, but has been entrusted to uphold pride in his alma mater, motivate students, and tell them all the great things that come out of that education. That’s what you wanted to tell me first? All the bad things you’ve heard about the school and your son’s personal issues that were probably his own damn fault? They say it takes one bad first impression to ruin it forever. No school is ever perfect, and mine is included in that. But if you love your program, you love your faculty, you love your school, and you love what it stands for from its conception, speak out. Tell that fool why they’re wrong [politely] and tell them that your school has done something for you that has changed your life. Do for them as they were supposed to do for you: tell them the great things that have gone on at your school and the success everyone can achieve if they apply themselves.
And if he still doesn’t listen, you can always report it to the higher ups ;D
A light at the end of the tunnel
Last week I met with my thesis advisor and handed him my tiny little thesis-in-the-works. I didn’t like what I had (I usually never do) and gave him about forty reasons why nothing was good in my paper. He seemed to like what was there which astounded me, but what was even crazier was him casually mentioning the Day of Scholarship being held next month.
Each year our college has a Day of Scholarship where professors (and a few students) share the latest in their research or what they have recently published. It’s not a day to brag about what you’ve done but a day to learn about your colleagues are doing and what others outside your field are researching (in which case you just nod your head and smile when they talk about the nitrification of oxygen moving through rivers, or something like that).
My advisor grumbles a lot (in a nice way) as if there is always something he’s contemplating in his head. I asked if he was specifically asking me to present and I got one of his grumble grumbles. The next day I had another professor ask me to present and I told him while I didn’t feel confident, I would do it.
It’s kind of a nice incentive, you know? Just when you want to give up (which these days is every day) you have a reason to keep going. Someone put your faith in you or saw something you did not see in yourself, and they want you to keep going. So do it for them!
Entanglement
I’m feeling entangled in my research on entanglement.
At some point every thesis student is going to get caught in a whirlwind of stress and it just so happens that 100% of the students in my class feel exactly that way.
Last week I presented my first chapter to the professor and was told that while it was good, the focus needed to shift. So essentially it means I have to rewrite about half of my introduction. As you have seen from past posts my thesis is about the cultural legacy left behind in Austria after the Battle of 1683 fought against the Ottomans. My professor told me that while the battle sets the stage for my thesis, the battle is not my focus.
Wait… what?
Yep, that’s right. I have to write about an event that happened without really writing about the actual battle. I suppose the physical battle must transition into a symbolic stage in which two forces fight… or as the professor says, get caught up in entanglement.
One thing is for certain: at my college we are given the ultimate blessing with amazing faculty and an amazing curriculum. When all of us began our methods course last fall, sixty to eighty pages seemed impossible and almost offensive. While we may only have written one chapter thus far, our professors have guided us in such a way that we have more confidence in our capabilities than ever before. We know that this is the stepping stone to graduate level work and are unique in this aspect. The history programs at nearby colleges in my state are abysmal– senior students write twenty pages or less, if at all! My college is small and distinctive and our academic outlook reflects that. I’m proud of my college for pushing students beyond their own expectations and showing them what a monumental achievement they will attain once this process is over.
Ottoman Ancestors
I know it’s been awhile, but I’ve been sick and busy. And of course now my final semester is starting so time is drastically coming to zero. Oh well! Let’s talk about the people that paved the way for the Ottomans.
Like all great empires, the Ottomans had to have come from somewhere. So where did they come from?
First, Ottomans are not an ethnicity and there was no such place called “Ottomanland” or “Ottomania” (this sounds more like crazed fan girls of Otto or something). No, the name is derived from the House of Osman, which began with a man named Süleyman. But we’ll get to that later. These people were Turks.
The Turks first appeared on our world stage in Central Asia in a place known as the steppe. Truthfully, this place wasn’t somewhere fun and relaxing. Half the year the steppe was covered in snow, and during their short summer the temperatures were as high as in any desert.
Fun fun fun
The Turks were a nomadic people, meaning they would never live in one place for too long (and why would you in a climate like that anyway). Because they wandered, having some sort of a centralized power would be worthless. These people were better off in smaller groups to roam their environment with the livestock they followed. In addition to following their livestock, Turks trained themselves to be incredible hunters and fighters. It was vital that the Turks were highly disciplined in such an ecoregion.
I don’t know if the Turks had a word for it at the time, but they were mystical people. They took the energy of the environment around them and felt it had a connection to a god- through their environment they achieved this oneness with a divine power. Turks believed spirits passed through the forest as they did, and held these spirits in high regard. The Turks were sacrificial in nature, too. They would offer up their game in a way of receiving favor from their divine power.
Turks eventually began to move into other regions with contact from the outside world. Islam had a big part to play in this. Muslim missionaries would often take on the challenging role of going out into harsh land in order to convert polytheists and other religiously affiliated people to their faith. The Turks, fierce as they were, got along well with others. Cooperation was a strong suit for them and it would play immensely in their favor in future years. So some Turks converted to Islam, and off they went in search of a new place to settle. For some, that meant going eastward. For others, it meant moving westward. Those Turks that settled in the Anatolian region eventually became rulers of what would be known as the Seljuk dynasty.
The Seljuks were one of those groups that could have had an extremely large and impressive presence had they had strong leadership. But it did not happen that way. The Seljuks would elect a leader for their principality or beylik and he in turn would lead the inhabitants of that region on raiding parties in other principalities or ambush trade caravans, etc. Even though they were organized into a beylik, it didn’t necessarily mean that they had a structured government as the idea would lead you to believe. A the time the people still lived quite autonomously in their tribes.
When a leader didn’t live up to expectations he was easily deposed. This ineffective leadership cycle was one of the major downfalls to the crumbling Seljuk dynasty and was what also led the way for the Ottomans to pick up the pieces and start what would become one of the longest empires in our history.
When the Mongols came in close proximity with the Turks that still lived in the steppe region, the Turks packed up and headed West. Legend has it that the leader Süleyman led his tribe over the river Euphrates- but drowned along the way. His son Ertugrul then took over, and with him some of the tribe went. They kept moving westward toward Rum Anatolia, an area that was governed by the Seljuks. Ertugrul proved a loyal citizen and as reward the Seljuks gave him land to preside over. With Ertugrul’s passing around 1280, leadership passed on to his son Osman. It is here that [I believe] the official House of Osman starts.
There you have it- a concise history of the people and the culture preceeding the Ottomans. More to come!
Okay, so maybe Salt ‘N’ Pepa edged me out with their version of the song. Whatever.
Today’s post doesn’t have to be too long. I just want to give a quick overlook at Austria and Turkey, our two modern-day countries in examination.
To start, I’d like to clarify a few things about Austria. For one, it is not Germany. The people are not Germans. They are Germanic, yes, but they are not German. Today if you call an Austrian a German it’s a smidgen insulting. Not because Germans are bad or anything! But it’s a small country with not that many people and a rich heritage. Pretend you go to the University of Alabama (or maybe you really d0). Now let’s say someone comes up to you and says, “Oh, that’s Auburn, right?”. As your blood begins to boil at the very thought, just calm down for a minute. While both being in the same state, they are two very different schools. While both being on the same continent, Austria and Germany are very different places. Okay, that should clear that up! Also one last word– Austrians speak German, so when you see smiley faces (ü) and shocked faces (ö) keep in mind they’re umlauts it’s part of the language. When writing about Austria, I am going to try to use as many German words as possible in my thesis.
Anyway, now that you’ve calmed down over the Auburn / UA comparison, kindly look at this map I’ve filled in.
There are nine states in Austria (yeah Tirol is tricky because of Italy). Each of the nine states has been labeled and the one in red is home to Austria’s capital as well as our battle. Vienna, or Wien in German, was the seat of the Habsburg Dynasty. Think of savory food, delicious baked goods, and people with deformed lower lips– also known as the Habsburg lip. See, you’re making connections in your head already! (No worries, folks, the people in Austria are extremely attractive. There was once an issue with genetic deformities among those royally betrothed individuals but rest assured, nowadays Austrians are really, really good looking).
It’s too early in my research for me to know if the other states were vital in the conflict but some of our main players in yesterday’s blog are from parts of Austria (remember, it’s the Holy Roman Empire so a few people are from Poland, France, etc). For instance the man with the really stuffy title, Count Ernst Rüdiger von Starhemberg, is from Niederösterreich, which is #2 on our map. And now you know where that is!
Showing Turkey’s divisions on a map is a little tough. For one, I don’t know their divisions, mostly because there are eighty-one provinces in the country. That’s a lot, and I really can’t count past twenty or I get nervous. So we’ll stick with the regions of Turkey as defined by the Turkish Statistical Institute. Let’s have a looksie:
There are seven regions in modern-day Turkey. Constantinople, now called Istanbul, was the home of Ottoman Empire. It once belonged to the Byzantines but the Ottomans sacked the place and with it, away went Christianity. What’s interesting to note is that it is the only city in the world that lies on two continents. Notice the ring on the map. That partition within the ring is traditionally considered the divide between Europe and Asia; its actual geographical partition being the Bosphorus River. So Constantinople was located in what is today called the Marmara Region. The Sea of Marmara is that body of water south of the ring and above it lies the Black Sea. When you think of Constantinople think of being completely awestruck. The architecture, the food, the smells in the city will leave you feeling fully satisfied with your five senses. Istanbul has some of the most incredible food I’ve ever eaten. I bring this up because Turkish food is one of the things I’ll be looking into in my thesis. Croissants are speculatively from the East, not France as always thought. It is believed that the croissant migrated into Austria and I’m curious to know if it was brought after the Battle of 1683.
When you think of Constantinople you could also think of Istan-bul not Con-stan-t’nople Istan-bul not Con-stan-t’nople…
See, there’s a song no one can mess up.
The Battle of Vienna 1683: LET’S DO IT
The Curious Historian’s not-so-curious and actually quite obvious quintessential tips for essential studying:
It looks like I should be studying Puritan history.
- A book! You need to start somewhere, right? Why not start with an easy one that’s also short and you’ll feel better about how many pages you go through in a day.
- Paper! Take some notes and admire your ability to be so good at attention to detail.
- A paperweight. (One that has a curiously ingenious function of sending you messages when you don’t wish to read about a man wearing a fancy wig– at that moment)
- A glass of water. Because you’re sick, you can’t get appointments with any of your doctors, and it’s also fun to put your notes behind it and watch them magnify, or put the candle behind it and make the flame look bigger.
- A candle! Which serves no purpose other than to smell nice while you zone out because you don’t want to read about those men with silly powdered wigs.
- I forgot to include the pen. You can figure that one out yourself.
- Notice how there’s no laptop. No laptop means no Facebook which means no distractions! ehhhh, ehhhh? That’s when you pick up your paperweight and marvel at its communicative, procrastinative (<- made up word) genius.
Well, that satisfies the “where” of things! Sorry, no explanations today of the actual places in my research– just the desk in my bedroom.
I began yesterday (in a setting very much like today) my winter break research for the senior thesis. I chose a very readable book with which to begin that laid out the chronologies, prominent people, and prominent locations of the war. I am unfamiliar with much of the history of the Battle of 1683 so this was a good start.
Let’s look at what on earth is the “who” of my focus:
In one corner of the ring we have the Holy Roman Empire! (Yay, three cheers for Austrian people!)
Coat of Arms for the House of Habsburg
In the other corner of the ring we have the Ottoman Empire! (What a pretty Ṭuğrā!)
Ṭuğrā of Sultan Mehmed IV
The two big “whos” in my research are the Habsburgs who were the ruling family under the Holy Roman Empire, and the Sultanate of Mehmed IV under the Ottoman Empire.
Here’s a list of people (thus far) who will be running around during the battle.
Holy Roman Empire
- Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor (1640-1705)
- John III Sobieski, King of Poland (1629-1696)
- Charles Sixte, Duke of Lorraine (1643-1690)
- Count Ernst von Rüdiger von Starhemberg (1638-1701) <— What a stuffy name!
Ottoman Empire
- Sultan Mehmed IV (1642-1693)
- Kara Mustafa Pasha (1634-1683)
- Count Imre Thököly de Kesmark (1657-1705)
That, for now, takes care of the “who”. So now let’s talk about “what” on earth the “who” did.
Back Again
The Curious Historian is back! While laying awake in bed last night because of an extremely annoying sore throat, she has decided to rejuvenate her blog.
With her last semester approaching, the time has come to begin the writing process for the senior historical thesis. Historical studies students must write approximately eighty pages of a topic of their choice in order to graduate.
That being said, the Curious Historian will document all frustrations, anger, happiness (?), and anything else she may feel while researching and writing about her topic. It will also examine the way a topic is researched and written in a historical context. This new series of blogs will be written under “The Thesis Files”.
Begin!
A Temporary Home Revisited
It has been a few months since I packed up my things and said my goodbyes to some of the best people I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet. I loved DC and to this day I smile whenever something in the present triggers a memory from the past.
Being back at my college is wonderful. I work as Vice President for our Neighborhood Watch club which means many hours of planning and many hours of community service. Working in Neighborhood Watch has been and is one of the many joys I experience daily at my college.
During the latter days of October the executive board met to plan a December event, a last way to have all of our club members together to do something fun. Our advisor and I had been doing some behind-the-scenes talking and came up with the fantastic idea of visiting the National Law Enforcement Memorial (although I don’t think we thought it’d actually happen). She brought it up at one of our E-Board meetings and the idea caught on. We worked hard to make this trip a reality and so on December 3rd, fifty students got on the bus and went.
We took I-95 down to DC early in the morning and arrived at the Lincoln Memorial on the
National Mall. I was excited to finally cross off more items on my DC Bucket List (which can be found on the main page of this blog) and speed walked over with my friends to the Lincoln Memorial. It was so refreshing after a long bus ride and an even longer absence from a city I love to be stepping on its grass once again. My roommate and I imitated running up the steps like in Rocky (it’s only natural on a long flight of stairs) and read the passage flowing down the wall. It was a really cool moment, but the moment passed in brevity as we were collected together to take a photo shoot before moving onto the next memorial (we only had an hour to visit three).
From the Lincoln we walked over to the Korean War Memorial which I had not known was in the area (forgive me). The memorial was spooky in an unscary way (make sense?). I 
was astounded at how much fear was captured in the eyes of the statue soldiers. I paused to reflect on an acquaintance of mine who once told me she had a relative who served in the war. Looking at those statues and thinking of what my friend’s father may have gone through put a very real connection in front of me. Whoever designed the memorial did an incredible job.
The long wall to the side of the statues was simply amazing. I presume the images were etched onto the wall digitally. Up close the images looked pixelated and from afar they seemed to fade into the stone. I noticed my reflection faded into the stone as well– another clever trick from the designer. This impressed me the most. Soldiers and tourists blended together in a reflection. Whomever we may be, we are all seemingly connected.
From Korea we walked across the path to the Vietnam Memorial. I had hoped to be able to see this at some point. I love its simplicity– not understated and not ostentatious. The names etched into each panel were saddening and surreal. I’ve taken classes on Vietnam and heard personal stories at the National Memorial Day Concert and nothing hits home like visiting this place. I saw a few students with sullen faces– the impact of such a simple design can be powerful.
After our hour was up we gathered together to get back on the bus and we headed over to the National Law Enforcement Memorial. I was so happy to go back to my “quiet” spot where I used to eat my lunch on free days and stop and rest on weekends. The NLEOM was one of my favorite parts of DC for its relatively calm and pondering atmosphere. We were dropped off by the shuttle driver and the students began to make their way around the oval-like memorial to read the names of the fallen police officers.
It was here that I made a temporary detour to find our next destination on the itinerary and it is here that the name of this entry holds its significance. I used to walk around DC easily and knowingly like it was the back of my hand. While on this trip I managed to get a little lost for which I felt shameful. It reminded me that I lived here for ten weeks, temporarily. I was saddened by my confusion as to where our next destination was. DC felt like home, and it was home. But not for long.
I found my destination and then, thankfully, I easily made my way back to the NLEOMF. Students sat together at different points around the site, resting from all the walking we had done earlier. As our time came to a close we took one group picture before walking to our next stop. It puts a smile on my face to see how many people sat there with me this time, taking in the sites and sounds of my favorite place in DC. I’m happy I could share the experience– it meant a lot to me :] 
Our next event on the itinerary took us to the Museum of Crime & Punishment in Chinatown. I never got the chance to go there during the summer so I was eager to see it now. The museum was packed full of personal possessions of some of America’s most notorious crooks. It was a little eerie! I even felt a little nauseated when I saw some of the medieval torture devices and the room housing our nation’s execution contraptions. I did not get through the entire museum although I was okay with that. We set up a surprise for our club members and told them they were able to do a forensics workshop in the basement where America’s Most Wanted is filmed. It was great watching the students solve the “murder” that took place in the museum.
Our final stop was at the front lawn of the White House where the Christmas tree was located. We took twenty minutes to take pictures and walk around the perimeter of the site to see the big tree and the fifty smaller trees representing the states. When we were finished we got on the bus one last time and headed home.
That day was fantastic and gave me a happy feeling of nostalgia. I am grateful to my college for allowing us the funds to make the trip possible. Washington, DC, is by far the most unique city I have visited. To say I lived there, even if it was only temporarily, is something I relish. It was a major life experience I’ll never forget, and with each trip back in the future, I’ll only be happier I had the chance to make memories of a lifetime.
Note: Not all pictures were taken by me. Many photos during the trip were taken by one or more people.
My boss is really, really awesome.
Each month we host an international visitor for a meeting (last month Tajikistan) where we learn a little about them, and they learn a little about us. It was just my luck that the visitor today was a Professor from Pakistan who was a Sufi scholar. I hope to have his book as soon as it comes out in English translation.
He gave my boss a silk Pakistani scarf that I definitely glanced at before he left. And what do you know, my boss gave it to me!! He said he wasn’t going to wear it.
They’re quite similar to UPenn colors, so maybe I’ll wear it in the hopes of one day being accepted there. Thanks, boss :]
“My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.” – HH XIV Dalai Lama
Answer: I saw them both yesterday morning on the Capitol West Lawn!
What an incredible, spontaneous to-do list item! I found out about five days ago that His Holiness would be giving a peace lecture to the public to end his week-long tour of DC. It was funny because that week I had seen a myriad of Buddhist monks on the metro but didn’t know for what. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I feel very blessed to have experienced!
My roommates (and I) and two friends who live across from us got up and headed out fairly early to get good seats at the West Lawn of the US Capitol. We waited two hours in the sun and heat but it was well worth it. The throng of people in the audience were of all religious traditions, genders, races, and walks of life. I watched over the course of those two hours the diversity of the people streaming in and sitting down in laughter and harmony with one another.
At 9:30 a group of Buddhist monks delivered an eerie chant… if you’ve ever heard the Eskimo throat-singing rituals, it was a bit like that but somewhat more song like with more notes. Truth be told, it kind of creeped me out– not necessarily in a bad way.. but even though I was so unfamiliar with that tradition, I wasn’t expecting anything like that.
After the chant a troupe of Buddhist dancers and instrumentalists performed a song (more along the lines of what I was expecting!) and dance that was very beautiful. There’s nothing like the slow, elegant movements of Asian style dancing. Everyone was entranced in the beauty of the visual harmony emanating from those performers. 
During the dance I noticed a group of suited men in sunglasses (how typical, lol) escorting an older looking man behind the stage. I saw him for a flash and then he disappeared. The group had finished out came Skylar Grey.. the voice in P.Diddy’s newest song “I’m Coming Home” (by the way he ruined that song she should have kept singing). She sang beautifully but I couldn’t tell you the name of her song.
And then at long last, a voice came out and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Whoopi Goldberg.”
SAY WHAAAAAAAAT?
She’s not a Dalai Lama.
Yep, Whoopi Goldberg was the emcee for the event much to the surprise of many in the audience. She really wasn’t on stage for long. She announced that Desmond Tutu had a personal video to send to the DC audience that morning, and then she introduced the Dalai Lama. But it was still cool to see her! I feel like I’ve seen her once before in person.. hmm.. I’ll have to ask my parents about that one.
When the Dalai Lama came out, everyone stood up. He stood at the foot of the stage and thanked everyone for coming out and embracing kindness and openness of the heart. He told us that he didn’t like formality and never really prepared anything for when spoke to the public :]
His message was one that isn’t hard to believe– love, kindness, wisdom, diversity, acceptance, etc. What made it unique was that he internalized everything. He was funny, he was sincere, and he was real. I’m very glad to have seen him, and it will definitely be a memory I will never forget.
Thanks for coming to speak to us, Your Holiness!
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