Because I Love This Class

First of all, I would like to thank each and every one of you for being so open and passionate in your presentations.  I was blown away by all of them and had a blast learning about not only the topics, but you as people through them.  Our class is composed entirely of brilliant people, and I will never be able to accurately say how grateful I am to have been able to be a part of it.  If anyone could start a revolution, it would be the people in that classroom.  We could call ourselves "Sexson's Army."

Yasmin - the smile of freedom (I think I illustrate this smile everyday when I get out of my other classes) is such an interesting thing.  Smiling in general is; we smile for nearly every emotion we express, even, as was mentioned in your presentation, when we are sad.  I was moved by the Mandela clip you showed, baffled by the Mona Lisa, and thoroughly intrigued in your presentation as a whole.  It's funny because the first thing I noticed about you was your smile (it is captivating by the way), so how fitting for you to present on them.  Thank you.

Katie Chambers - you wrote a beautiful piece on dreaming.  My attention was not only captured by your story, but by your presence as you told it.  You discussed the violent, erotic, implausible and desiring nature of dreams and ended by saying we should not feel shameful when we wake from them; it is only natural.  I'm glad someone said this.  Dreams are so interesting and cool and the content of them should not be judged; we can't even control them.  One of my favorite HP quotes goes something like "It is your choices more than your abilities that define you" and I think this applies directly to dreaming.  We cannot control our dreams, so we should not be defined by them.  Rather, we should just appreciate them for what they are: fucking awesome.  You may be quiet, but you are a strong and passionate woman Katie.  I quite saw that in your presentation. Thank you.

Jonah - in your presentation you said, "Freedom is the act of perception."  I have long struggled with figuring out what exactly "freedom" is, but the second you said that everything fell into place.  It is something no one can take away (or give) and something internal.  It effects everything and also has no effect at all; it is the individual's whole world and nothing to anyone besides them.  This falls perfectly in line with what Conchis said: "The better you understand freedom, the less you possess it."  We do not own freedom, we simply navigate by it.  You had an enthralling presentation filled with many deep points (as always) that allowed me to see just how thoughtful you are; the fact that you still think of the words a homeless man said to you as a child shows how well you think things over.  You are so deep and caring Jonah, and this really came through in your presentation.  Thank you.

Spencer - you related our mythology class to thermo dynamics while simultaneously involving the class by incorporating our dreams into it.  You showed how our class can be used to tap into any subject, which is something that I hope to achieve in my future as a teacher so I found it not only interesting but extremely useful.  The world could really benefit from more minds thinking like yours does, but even more so from more people caring enough to act on it.  You said you don't want to be a sell-out or work for "the man," but I have no doubts that you won't.  Even if you do work for some big oil corporation you will certainly not sell out, but rather change that corporation from the inside out with your ways of thinking.  Your presentation showed me how witty and how strong of a leader you are.  Thank you.

Alaine - I can't believe I missed the first few minutes of your poem!  All I know is that I walked into a room of completely enraptured people and saw a woman speaking beautifully from her soul.  I read your full poem on your blog.  Many times.  Not only is it inspiring in it's form and structure, but also in content.  You may be quiet in class, but holy shit you have a lot of big, deep ideas to share with the world.  I have no doubts that you will get exactly what you want out of your life.  Today you got the sun tarot card, and I just thought it was perfect.  You certainly are a beacon of light for all of those around you, and that certainly radiated through your presentation.  Thank you.

Katie Neal - you did a great job of constructing the "god game."  I was so sure someone would ask the right question and we would figure out who the killer was, and when you revealed that there was no killer I was shocked.  But as Sexson would say, "Of course there was no killer." ;)  In your presentation I learned that sometimes there is no right question.  Sometimes, you do not get the answer you're looking for.  This is something I certainly need to take to heart since my tendency is to tear things apart in search of answers, and it often is the case that there is no answer and then I'm just left with a mess.  You are such a sharp and observant person, but it is your compassion that stands out the most to me; it is powerful and ever present in your words and I'm glad to have had the chance to witness and be inspired by it.  Thank you.

Rose - your presentation was clearly from the heart.  I know first hand how difficult it can be to experience depression and also how scary it is to talk about it with others.  You did so magnificently though.  I wrote down so many of the lines from your paper but your final point left me drop-jawed.  "Emotions are the stories in my head," you said.  And in that moment I felt something shift inside of me.  I hope you realize how beautiful that sentence was Rose.  Emotions are the stories in my head.  I will never forget that line.  I was having a rough day today actually and as my head started to reel I began to feel an anxiety attack coming on.  But I told myself that sentence and thought, "These emotions will not kill me.  Nor should I be ashamed of them.  I should just look at them like a story."  And I immediately felt myself calm.  You don't give yourself enough credit Rose.  You are intelligent and courageous and things may be rough right now, but you are going to be okay.  You are too brilliant not to be. I hope you know how much I appreciated your presentation.  Thank you.

Joe - well Joe, you may have made me stay late after class, but I wouldn't have chosen to spend that time any other way.  You are a volcano of contemplation - exploding in thoughts and ideas - and I don't think I've ever met someone that commits as much energy as you do to exploring them.  Your presentation showed how the cycle of reading is the cycle of water is the cycle of life is the cycle of everything.  It's hard to write about your presentation since it covered pretty much the whole universe (ha it's funny because you literally did talk about the whole universe..) but it certainly opened my mind to the cycle we are all caught up in.  I loved when you said, "Sex is just a really beautiful middle finger to chaos" and when you sang, "Holy water has got nothing on this mud."  You are a brilliant ball of energy with a unique perspective and the ability to share it through a variety of mediums.  You never cease to amaze me in your ability to get me to see things in a different light.  Thank you.

Valerie - my goodness woman, you are an inspiration to all. Your presentation was extremely interesting and gave me my first look into tarot cards, which I thoroughly enjoyed.  I had no idea of all the allusions to tarot in The Magus but once you pointed them out the book took on a whole new constantly having to rethink the things you say since they pack such a punch.  Your authenticity as a person, strength in convictions, and love for life are unmatched.  I hope to emulate each of those traits in my own life and hope you realize what an inspiration you truly are.  Thank you.

Matt - your presentation was, of course, fantastic.  It's funny because I've been listening to "Godspeed You! Black Emperor" the entire time I've been writing this blog. (I like them by the way, so thanks for introducing them to the class!)  I really liked what you had to say about architecture telling our stories.  It really does and I've never thought about it, but I've certainly felt it and it was exciting to hear you talk about it and understand what you were getting at.  You are so insightful and multifaceted and I am consistently blown away by the things you say.  I will never forget the day you talked about Lament of the Dead and said, "Keep telling the story."  I've adopted that as a motto for my life.  You have such skill as an observer, analyzer, and storyteller.  I hope you tell stories your whole life long.  You certainly need to get your brilliant thoughts out there somehow.  They are too great to go unshared and I'm honored to have been able to be witness to them.  Thank you.

Calder - you gave quite the history lesson in your presentation.  You posed the question, "Who controls the past" and at that point I had to really stop and think.  Who does control the past?  What is written in our textbooks is what kids learn and is what they will act off of, thereby controlling the future.  We cannot afford to have the control of the past in the wrong hands.  You then said the Orwell quote, "Those who control the past control the future, and those who control the present control the past."  I'm glad you are studying history Calder.  Because if people like you write text books or teach history or write about it or whatever it is you end up doing, you will control the past.  And if people like you control our future, then we will all be a-okay.  You have a strong presence, a beautiful mind, and are a true craftsman of words and I have loved being able to witness that.  Thank you.

Since I will not be here for the last day of presentations I would like to say a bit about the rest of our class as well.

Carol - you have an interesting perspective on things and I am sure your presentation is going to rock.  A lot of times in class you say a little sentence that I find myself mulling over for great lengths of time; just when I think I understand something you bring up another aspect and I realize I was only seeing part of the picture.  I will never forget the day you read your poem "Too Close" to the class. It was so beautiful and showed me how creative and passionate you are.  I have really enjoyed hearing your thoughts and reading your blogs.  Thank you.

Brady - I always love it when you speak up in class because I know it's either going to be a funny joke or a deeply insightful thought that you are about to share.  I got my first real glimpse into your mind when you wrote your blog/paper on circles, and I've been grateful for that glimpse since.  You are gifted in your ability to see more than just the words on the page - to see connections - and I hope to be able to emulate that in my own reading.  I've loved getting to hear your insights and originality through both what you say in class and what you blog.  You have a wonderful mind.  Thank you.

Logan - first of all, you radiate such a positive energy.  You also possess a brilliant mind that works in ways my mind can't even fathom, and every time you talk I find myself writing it down so that I can think about it more later.  When you did that presentation on the whiteboard about mythology and AI, my mind about exploded - first from all the unfamiliar terms and then from how perfectly you made your point.  You are a brilliant man with interests all across the board, which makes you captivating to listen to.  Thank you.

Charlie - You are probably the one in the class I have talked the least with, but your presence is always noticed.  You have such insight to share and whenever I've talked with you outside of class I instantly feel your compassion and wisdom.  I am glad your crazy road trip ended up with you in Bozeman; this community is extremely lucky to have you.  I have thoroughly enjoyed hearing your stories and thoughts throughout this semester.  Thank you.

Conner - well you aren't really in this class so you don't get a post. Just kidding.  The first thing I noticed about you was your eyes.  You listen with rapt attention and I can almost see the gears spinning in your brain as you take the time to process each thing that is said.  You don't speak up often, but when you do I am consistently jolted by what you have to say.  You are passionately curious and gifted in your ability with words (I especially love your poetry) and I am glad that Joe invited you to our class.  You truly dance for the sake of dancing Conner.  You are genuine and thoughtful and brilliant and I'm so glad you joined our class.  Thank you.

And of course.....

Dr. Sexson - you will get a detailed thank you from me later, but I want to congratulate you on creating the ultimate learning environment.  I say on a regular basis how thankful I am for having had the opportunity to take this class.  And when I think of my future as a teacher you are the role model I hope to imitate.  Never before have I had an educational experience as I have had in your classroom.  I've felt myself growing and thinking in ways I've never thought to think before and I cannot thank you enough for this.  This class has changed my life.  It has been a huge part of my apocalypse.  And it is all because one man with a twinkle in his eye decided to invest in a group of random college kids.  Thank you so much for sharing your mind with us Dr. Sexson.  It has been exciting and wonderful and beautiful every step of the way.  If you ever want to adopt a grand daughter just let me know;)