Secret Knowledge (aka Day One of Class)

Our day began at 9:30am with an introduction to CYA (College Year in Athens), and was followed by our first day of class here in Greece. That's right. I'm not just here to have fun and roam around an amazing city with an awesome group of people. I actually have to go to class, read, and do homework assignments! I'm sure at times this will seem like a drag: being in such a beautiful place, "wasting" time doing classwork. But this brings me to the piece of secret knowledge I'd like to share: NEVER give up the opportunity to learn. It doesn't matter what you learn about, be it math, literature, history, culture, things about your friends, things about yourself, or random facts that seem to have no relevance to your life. Knowledge really is power. The more you know, the more you can do.

Yesterday, we watched the film Agora. It was based on historical events in that took place in Alexandria in the 4th century. Philosopher Hypatia (perhaps the only woman philosopher to come to any fame) was caught in a fight between the Christians and Pagans. The arguments between the groups become so violent that the Christians end up storming the library of Alexandria, destroying any document they found. All of that knowledge, lost because of hatred. This frustrates me more than lady-like words can describe. As we discussed in class, many believe that the destruction of the library set civilization back 2000 years. 2000 years! All because the Christians refused to see the documents for what they truly were: an opportunity to learn. And to pass that knowledge on to future generations.

Knowledge doesn't alwasy have to come in the form of things you learn in the classroom. There's a reason that we all go to PLU. Aside from what we learn inside the classroom (and anxiously get tested on during finals week) we have the opportunity to learn so much more outside the classroom, and this time we get to spend in Greece is an example of that. This isn't just a vacation, but an opportunity to learn about a new culture as well. It's a chance to meet new people that I never would have met otherwise.

So basically, my secret knowledge is this: gain as much of your own secret knowledge as possible. And then pass your knowledge along to others. Don't be too stubborn, or you might let an opportunity slip through your fingers.