Tuesday, April 30

Today is Tuesday of Dead Week (Week 15). Here is a link to this week's assignments. If you are doing the reading assignments this week, you'll want to do the Reading A assignment today per the usual schedule.

Class Procedures and Reminders

OU "Creaties" Award. I am excited to announce that a student from Myth-Folklore last Fall has been recognized for "best blog post" this year! Here is a video about all the "Creaties" winners, and you will see Anna Margret's podcast there; here's a direct link: The Nokken. She wrote the Storybook for Myth-Folklore, and then she made it into a podcast for a Media Production class: I thought it was so cool that she combined her two classes that way!

Finishing the class. When you have the points you need (410-A, 360-B, 320-C), you can fill out the "Finished" form that you will see in Canvas: you're all done! And when you fill out the form, I will know not to keep sending you reminders this week. :-)

Project Stack. Yesterday I read through all the new stories turned in on Sunday, and today I should be able to finish the new stories turned in on Monday; then tomorrow (Wednesday), I'll start reading the revision assignments that are in the stack. Meanwhile, you can check the stack to make sure I received your email.

The following items are for fun and exploration:

Blog Stream. Shaun made a wonderful Lady Gaga meme about writer's mindset: Story in mind; pen in hand. Which means: ready to write!

Free Book Online. Today's free book is The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum with illustrations by William Denslow; here you can see Dorothy and her friends:

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Free Audiobook. Today's free audiobook is by Andrew Lang: The Lilac Fairy Book.

Featured Storybook. If you like Doctor Who, you will like this time-and-space-travel Storybook: Hello, when am I? It's a mash-up in time and space as you find the story of Rama and Sita set in Verona, the story of Draupadi and her husbands set in the Wild West — so, jump through the time portal and see where it takes you!

Myth Video. I'm sure you know Maui is the name of an island, but did you know he was a hero too? Ma'ui, Oceania's Hero.

India Video. Here is some beautiful music from Maati Baani for some good feels during Dead Week: Tore Matware Naina.

Myth Item. I illustrated this Estonian proverb with a photo of one of the famous dwarves of Wroclaw: The one who is not strong enough to lift the stone must roll it. This is good advice for the end of semester: just keep rolling that stone!

Writing. This is one of my favorite writing graphics, and it's good life-advice too: Don't give up in the middle.

And if you find yourself in a negative space, here are some tips for managing negative thoughts.

Growth Mindset Cats. When you refuse to give up, you will grow: you must persist despite setbacks.

And here's a lovely film to inspire good feelings at any time: GRATITUDE by Louie Schwartzberg, featuring the thoughts of David Steindl-Rast.

Event on Campus. Come to the Collings Hall Lawn on the South Oval, 9AM-4PM today for Bags, Beads, and Books: handcrafted necklaces, bracelets and purses made by women in Uganda, and books written by Ugandan women about their experiences. All proceeds go to help support Grassroots Women’s Peace Conference in Gulu, Uganda (details).

Find out more about this and other events at the Campus Calendar online.

April 30: Walpurgis Night. The night of April 30 is celebrated as Walpurgis Night in many countries of northern and central Europe, often with bonfires late into the night. The holiday is associated with magic and witchcraft, and it thus shows up in the Harry Potter books, where the Death-Eaters are referred to as the "Knights of Walpurgis." You can read more at Wikipedia, and here the witches of Wolfshagen im Harz in Germany doing their Walpurgis dance; find out more here: The Witch Dance.

And here is a Walpurgisnacht video from the pagan-folkband Faun:

Check out the Twitter stream for information and fun stuff during the day, or click here for past announcements.