Locke, Dante, Tolstoy...and Bartel?

Today, happiness abounds, for happy torrey classes are approaching but summer is still here.  Yesterday was my Torrey orientation at Biola, where I got my first assignment (ugghh), and found out who will be my guide through my head-life for the next year.  I've decided that orientations are much happier things your second year in Torrey, when you know many people there and can see friends from Bubbs who you rarely see in real life, and have the fun of already having heard rumors about tutors but don't know for sure.  Yes, orientation was a happy thing.   Thank you Grace, Amy, Cree, Ariel, Jessica, MaryKate, Paige, and Emily for contributing to this happiness :)

This summer has been a very productive one, I believe, especially after Wheatstone.  I've gotten to read many good books, which brings me to the title of this post...representing both the whence and whither of this year.  The what have you done so far, and what are you going to do.

1) Locke...first Foundations book...my first reaction to him is a definite "what on earth are you talking about sir?"  With perseverance I am sure he will be wonderful but right now when I'm still in summer mode it'll take some work to make me read and *gasp* precis it before the first class.

2) Dante...thank you thank you thank you Gabriel for making me read Dante now instead of in 10,000 years.  Inferno was fabulous and eye opening, Purgatorio is amazing so far, and I really hope to be able to finish all of him before school starts.  His poetry is just sublime!!!  I love the Divine Comedy, I am so excited to re-read it in Faith now...*sniff* a very long time to wait

3) Tolstoy...an absolute genius of story-telling...I read Anna K for the first time earlier this summer, and am now re-reading it, the sure test of a good book.  His way of writing characters that are actually real people instead of representatives of a specific virtue or vice is absolutely phenomenal.  Anna, Levin, Kitty, Stiva, and so many characters just seem to be brimming with life in all its agonizing wonderfulness.  Tolstoy, you are amazing and I wish I could write 1/100 as good as you.

4) Mr. Bartel...my Torrey tutor for Foundations!!!!!!!!!   I am officially very excited for this year now, I have heard so many wonderful things about him and I'm hoping he can bring a new level of community to our class.  

Right now, I'm definitely looking forward to the school year...we'll see how happy I am in a month when I'm in full swing with precii (plural of precis?), reflection essays, discussions, Hobbes, economics and biology, prepping for Dominican Republic trip...you get the picture!

Happy ending of summer everyone!

Under the mercy,

Elizabeth