The Terrorism Threat, Pride, and a Korean Movie

Some brief reviews of campus lectures and events I have immersed myself in during the past week:
Tuesday (9/29/09): Kim Clark, President of BYU-Idaho spoke to the BYU-Provo student body about pride. I erroneously figured the devotional was going to be on lions in the Serengeti (lions travel in groups called prides, sort of like sixteen year old boys). I was hoping for some "Madagascar" or "Lion King" clips, but alas, he was refering to a different type of pride. Notwithstanding, it was moving and his deprecating views on pride were far from nominal. Holla Holla Holla Hi
Wednesday (9/30/09): "The Crossing" at the international cinema. What a Korean movie! I cried; I smiled; I became confused; I ate popcorn; I learned Korean, Mandarin, and Mongolian. It was a stellar film that really puts a vice on your heart. No hard-heartendness could withstand this plot. The acting was Oscar worthy (I'm not making a reference to Oscar the Grouch, although I have been impressed with his acting of late) and the plot gave me what I consider a peephole view into the bifurcation of Korea. It may not have had Seoul, but it sure had Soul.  Holla Holla Holla Holla


Wednesday (9/30/09): Ryan Chavez, a government analyst, discoursed on terrorism with a talk titled "Eight Years Later: Assessing the Al-Qaida and Global Terrorism Threat." When I heard it was 'Chavez' coming to speak, I assumed Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela. What a treat, I thought! (Or did I mean 'What a  threat?') But no, it was a U.S. analyst who has probably never been to Venezuela. Nevertheless, he did not disappoint in his efforts to convince me that indeed, terrorism is bad. Let it be known, I am against it. He had some optimistic remarks about the fact that there have been no major terrorism acts in the U.S. since 9/11, even though there have been detailed attempts. Holla Holla Hi
I love college for its extracurricular activites, such as lectures, devotionals, and international movies.