About a month ago, I did not know what to expect going into this class. I wouldn't say I'm particularly fond of history in general, so signing up for this class wasn't something I would normally see myself doing. However, I did take an art class this fall term and it turned out to be my favorite class, so who was I to judge a book by its cover? So, after spending three weeks studying monuments and memorials I have fallen in love with the subject and everything that encompasses it. Prior to the class I found myself walking by shrines not even noticing their significance, or their presence at all. Now, I find myself stopping at sites that may look even the slightest bit suspicious, as if they could be a shrine to someone long gone.
I certainly feel as if this class has given me a new found appreciation for the time and effort people have put into memorializing someone or something once cared about so deeply as well. After our trip to D.C., this appreciation became stronger, as I began to realize the amount of effort, planning, time, and overall work required to memorialize something. These shrines that have become an everyday structure on the way to work are worth so much more than they are accredited for, and are too commonly forgotten about. In addition, I feel that this class has reminded me it is important not to forgot those we are memorializing, as Casey has reiterated throughout his phenomenological study. Considering Casey as well as how monuments and memorials function in society as meeting places, sanctuaries, and more, have helped to further my understanding of memorialization, as well as remembrance. This class and the history that follows have both been successful in creating the base work for this understanding of mine.
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