New Experiences

Monday September 18      

       This past week I was able to attend two Loyola sponsored events on the same exact day. The first event was a meet the firms event where many local and national accounting firms came in to introduce themselves to the student body here at Loyola. This was a very important opportunity for me to introduce myself to the many different employers that I hope to some day work for. The second event I attended was much different than the first and it was something that I have never seen before. Odds Bodkin is a performer who tells the story of Odysseus and his men as they break into Troy and continue on the dangerous path home. This storyteller however was very unique in his delivery of the classic tale. Odds Bodkin tells this age-old story while he plays guitar and speaks in the voices of many different characters.

          Over the weekend, I was able to read a variety of poems and the first of those was Robert Frosts, “Mending Wall.” In this short but metaphorical poem, Robert Frost speaks about a wall that he and his neighbor are rebuilding to keep their items separate. Frost is hinting about a deeper meaning when he says, “Before I built a wall, I’d ask to know what I was walling in or walling out, and to whom I was like to give offense” (34). Frost is attempting to say to the reader that it is not only a physical wall but also a mental wall that he is keeping his secrets behind. People are not always accepting and they are quick to make negative impressions on others. This same wall scenario appears when Odds Bodkin is telling the great story of Odysseus. In Troy, there is a great impenetrable wall that the Trojans erected in order to keep the Greeks out. Odysseus and his men trick the Trojans and get inside the wall to create vast damage and ultimately take over the city of Troy. Odds Bodkin explains this particular scene in such rich detail that I was vividly able to see Odysseus’ every move in my head. The same way I visualized the Trojan Horse, I was able to see the deeper message that Frost was portraying. This unique style that Odds Bodkin has carries over and allows for easy connections between tow seemingly different texts.

         “Accident Mass. Ave.” by Jill McDonough tells a very different story than Robert Frosts “Mending Wall” but McDonough shares a connection with Odds Bodkin in the fact that appearances can be deceiving. Going into the event, I was rather disinterested in seeing an event that was about Odysseus and a story that I had heard many times before. Similar to the two Boston natives who immediately went to aggressive mode when they realized that an accident had happened that involved both of them. The two females, similar to me, were pleasantly surprised when they realized that they had both found happiness in the situation. Odds Bodkin opened my eyes to a completely different style of telling stories and the two women were relieved to see no damage had been done. Going into situations with a preconceived attitude will quite possibly change to your surprise.

         Furthermore, Frances E. W. Harpers “Learning to Read” tells the short tale of an elderly woman finally learning to read. This compares to Odds Bodkin sharing his unique skill with us and potentially inspiring some members of the crowd. It is never to late to acquire a new skill and Odds shows this to the crowd perfectly.

         Fr. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach’s “The Service of Faith and Promotion of Justice in Jesuit Higher Education” relays the message and importance of a diverse Jesuit education through service and outreach in the community. Since coming to Loyola I have participated in many of the wonderful academic and service opportunities that are offered. These include both events that I attended last Thursday but Father Kolvenbachs’s piece shows how important being an active member is and how rewarding it can be.