Student Blogs

This past weekend Alexis, one of the other student bloggers (see her most recent blog for more details concerning the behind the scenes work) hosted a Halloween party at the college social center. (I'll talk more about the Social Center a little later) She had a scary movie playing downstairs and dancing going on upstairs. It was a big success: many people came to the party and moved through - enjoying candy, cider, and other refreshments.

There was also a costume contest. There were a few categories - Best Costume, Scariest Costume, and Worst Costume... I think there was another one - perhaps funniest (?) I can't recall, as my memory is terrible (I inherited it from my mother). People got to vote for one costume in each category. There were some pretty creative costumes, some were clever, others were generic, a few were disturbing, and there was actually a surprising number of literary references. (I think that sentence is grammatically correct)

Guess what! I won in a category!! I was the worst costume. I don't know how I feel about that. I was quite happy with my costume. Check it out, I'll post the picture.View image

I was Sir Gregory Yolen, a 17th century author, poet, and "Homme du monde" (man of the world). He called Wells, England his home when he was away. He traveled all over, and kept a detailed journal of his activities. The only works he ever published were his poems. He was in fact knighted by William the Third, upon his wife’s request as she was so moved by his poems. Had the Queen of Scots known that she would one day take the throne, she would have done it herself.

Gregory Yolen died in 1713 on one fateful February night. A fire consumed his house, his family, and most tragically, his autobiography. However, some groups believe that Jonathan Swift's book Gulliver's Travels was based on the life of Gregory Yolen, and an attempt at a reconstruction of what his autobiography might have said. But Swift, these groups say, realized that he got carried away with his writing, and decided to publish his book as a fiction tale, rather than a biography. People do note, however, that a small tribute is made to Yolen in the name of one of the ships Gulliver takes on his travels. "The Antelope" is named after Yolen's favorite animal. He himself once said, "If my wife would not object, which surely she would, the antelope would be my choice pet, though I would scarce be able to tame it - my wife that is." And of course, the ship represents the many travels he embarked on in his life.

As Yolen's journal was destroyed, all we really know of him comes from lore, and because his poems were directly addressed to the queen (with whom some suspect extramarital affairs) we only have a few small snippets of his poetry.

Yolen is slowly but surely becoming lost in the quagmire of history.

So I don't know why I won worst costume, but hey - I got a 10 dollar gift certificate to Starbucks, so I'm not complaining.

Well, I'll have to talk about the Social Center another time, as it is late, and I am exhausted.

So goodnight, and be sure to check out the other blogs for more info on what’s going on on campus!

~CAB