Attention Rael, Ruth, and George!

For anyone intereted in deep space communications, the possibility of alien life, and star jumps check this out:

Yelling at Stars will send Australia's first interstellar message. It's art, it's music, it's a show, and its being beemed into space via radio waves shot from Deep Space Communictions in Florida, USA. The performance kicks off at 9pm on the 31st of May (that's tomorrow night people!) at the Sydney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne and will stream live to space. It will also stream over the net, so you too can watch at home. It is part of the Next Wave Festival 2008, which this year is exploring ideas of closeness and conflict. Yelling at Stars uses humour, pathos, and the odd cover song to broadcast a personal account of humanity's struggle to deal with its sense of isolation. So, grab your favourite silver jumpsuit, pop your blasters in the cupboard, and rock out with a group a hoopy froods who really know where their towels are.

Check 'em out:
www.yellingatstars.com

I guess I should reveal that my brother is the Sound Designer/Composer, and my dad did some of the Astronomical Coordinate calculations. But that doesn't stop this being a funky exercise in intersellar communication.

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Come to Trivia!

Come to Trivia! Click on the image for better resolution.
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Fancy a Beverage?

Then come along to the Forest Lodge Hotel from 5pm, Wednesday 28th May for drinks and frivolity.

You're always welcome at the Flodge!
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Come and see a freaky film!

Do you secretly like movies about macabre, unexplained phenomena? Then come to the Mu-Meson Archives with us on Friday, May 23rd to see Wisconsin Death Trip!

We'll be meeting at the Annandale Hotel at 7pm for a sneaky drink, then heading around the corner at 7:30-ish for the film. Entry is $10 which includes a small supper.

Email Alex if you'd like to come with us (alex.norman at usyd.edu.au) ...

Friday 23rd May

Wisconsin Death Trip

Based on Michael Lesy's 1973 book of the same name, WISCONSIN DEATH TRIP is a strikingly original nonfiction film that tells the strange story of one cursed American community. In the late 1890s, the small rural town of Black River Falls, Wisconsin, suffered through an incredibly bizarre crisis. Economically depressed and battling a diphtheria epidemic, in addition to relentlessly bleak weather conditions, the residents of Black River Falls began to collectively lose their minds. Through recreations, old photographs, and newspaper clippings culled from the era (read by Ian Holm), James Marsh's film shows just how bizarre a time in history this actually was.

Mu-Meson Archives
Doors 7.30 for 8pm start
$10 with supper

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Why in Heaven Would You Study Religion?

Do you find people exhibit strange reactions when you tell them you are studying Religion? Do they assume you’re studying theology, and back away slowly? Do you feel somehow obliged to justify your choice of subject, more so than, say, English, Philosophy, or Sociology?

Then welcome ...

I have been studying Religion at Sydney Uni for 8 years. In that time, I’ve fielded hundreds of queries related to my study, reiterating ad nauseum that I am not training for the ministry, striving for the monkery, or bible-bashing my way through University. The simple fact of the matter is that no matter how you explain it, the majority of punters seem unconvinced by the motive for your pursuits, or indeed the nature of your research.

It’s hard to say how I tripped into this area of study. Actually, that is a lie. I enrolled in Studies in Religion because it was the only Arts subject not offering classes on Fridays. 8 years later, Fridays remain class-free and I’m still here.

I’m also better at answering that bastard of a question: “Why are you studying religion?” I find that responding with a question helps to level the playing field. Try: “Why are you an accountant/lawyer/commerce student?” Perhaps toss them a punchy statistic: “Did you know that over 70% of Australians identify as religious, in some sense?” Without sounding like an arch intellectualist*, you might point out the nonlikelihood that 70% of Australians would identify as devoted to accountancy/law/commerce.

To study religion is to delve into the cockles of human psychology and its physical manifestation: human behaviour. It is to ask: “What makes something sacred?” and “Is there a purpose to belief?” It is to excavate the foundations of social morés, cultural taboos, and common rituals. It is to become worldly without travel and wise without ageing. Most importantly, to study religion is to analyse what makes us tick: the primeval pulse that beats deep and wide across humanity’s collective consciousness.

So next time someone sounds incredulous – tell them to stick that in their pipe and smoke it.


*a common wanker

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President's Welcome

Welcome to the Mysterium Magnum Blog! Yes, the venerable and perpetually reincarnating student society of Studies in Religion at the University of Sydney finally enters the digital age. In so doing, this blog seeks to go beyond advertisements for pub nights, free food, and general student debauchery (all necessary, of course) and act as a gateway for students (and staff) to explore the experience of doing religious studies at University.

Blogs are great places for people with shared interests to gather online. They can act as information gateways as well as taking part in the processes of community building. I hope that this blog will prove to be a source of useful, interesting, and inspiring reading for new and prospective students of Studies in Religion. Of course, there’s a good chance that some readers may find the posts here nothing more than the pseudo-intellectual ramblings of a bunch of no-good-get-out-of-bed-at-noon-sponge-off-the-government students with too much time on their hands. They wouldn’t be too far wrong. Nonetheless, one of the aims of this blog is to bring our experience to you, the reader, through exploring how and why we do religious studies, and the types of projects we undertake. And let’s not forget that this blog will also function as the advertising space for our many forays into Sydney’s inner west in the name of doctoral procrastination and general debauchery. So if that’s more your bag then you should stick around too.

One of the main goals of Mysterium Magnum is to enhance the student experience of those interested in the study of things religious at the University of Sydney. I hope that this blog can play a part in that project as well as bring the work of the excellent faculty, postgraduates, and undergraduates of the department to a larger audience. So bookmark us, subscribe (via the link on the right), visit often, and tell your friends. If you don’t, may the Space Brothers ignore you when they finally arrive.

Alex Norman
Mysterium Magnum President
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Bio: Annabel

Annabel Carr
PhD Candidate, gin enthusiast, grammar zealot, Vice President

Long-term denizen of the Woolley Building, Annabel is an advocate of learning for learning’s sake. Once, she even memorised the states of the USA in alphabetical order. She is also polished in the art of scholarly procrastination (see previous sentence).

Annabel reads a lot, writes a little, pats stray dogs, and never partakes of dinner without dessert. Annabel is also learning French; “Vous pouvez m’aider, s’il vous plâit? J’ai une échelle dans mes bas” (Can you help me, please? I have a ladder in my pantyhose).

Under the supervision of Dr Chris Hartney, Annabel is working on a PhD about the recurring image of the lost child in Australian folklore. Know of any missing kids? She’d love to hear about it.

Annabel likes it lots of ways. Mostly she likes it spelled correctly.

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Bio: Alex

Alex Norman
PhD Candidate, cask ale fundamentalist, wannabe photographer, President

The last time he updated this page Alex wasn’t dead, at least in so far as he could ascertain. He is a postgraduate student with the Department of Studies in Religion at the University of Sydney, where he is writing about the role of travel in contemporary Western spiritual life. Really, this is just an excuse for him to travel. It seems to have worked so far, and you can read a bit about it here.

As well as being a student he sometimes also masquerades as a ‘teacher’, tutoring 1^st year religious studies students (one of whom recently remarked that with a hangover and a coffee he reminded her of Jack Black… Alex takes this as a compliment… he thinks it means he is ‘cool’). He also loves making photos, eating pickled fish, and generally annoying people by saying ‘OK’ a lot. Oh, and he thinks he can speak French, but he can’t. OK?

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Mysterium Magnum FAQ

What is this?

Mysterium Magnum is the society for students of Studies in Religion at the University of Sydney. This is its blog. The society exists to promote Studies in Religion within the University and provide an excuse to go to the pub a social forum for students interested in religions. We hope that this blog will be a place for students to learn how and why we do religious studies, as well as documenting some of our projects.
As well as the regular writers (Annabel and Alex), a group which we hope will grow, we intend to have some posts from guest writers, including some undergraduates, postgraduates, and the occassional member of staff.

Does this mean you want to become a priest?

Sigh... One thing you learn as a student of Studies in Religion is that whenever you tell someone you are studying religions they ask you this question. For more advice on how to respond to this see Annabel's excellent post on why we study religion.

What sort of religions interest you?

All of them. Daoism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Raelianism, Hare Krishnas (ISKCON) - you name it, we're into it. In fact, you will find that many people interested in studying religions will often look in the most unlikely places to find examples of it, such as Graceland or the Melbourne Cup Festival. For instance, within the Department we have postgraduates studying such subjects as the representation of ancient religions in computer games, and the image of the lost child in Australian culture.

This is all very nice, but what about a career?

Umm... Yeah... Actually, studying religions involves delving into the core of human behaviour - what motivates us to do what we do? As such it is a great subject for learning how to discover what makes people tick. Journalists, psychologists, teachers, and film makers have all taken courses within the Department as part of their degrees. We also have alumni who majored in Studies in Religion now working for State and Federal governments, advocacy groups, and, of course, religious groups. And let's not forget that there is also a career within the Academy, carrying on your research and writing and passing the information on to new generations of students.

Can I leave a comment?

Please do! We would love to hear your thoughts on our posts. Alternatively, if you just want to say hi please do that too. We love attention.

Why do you moderate comments?

Sadly, there plenty of spammers out there and the odd bot dedicated to the infinite linking of some lame porn site. Basically we moderate so the comments stay on topic.

Can I use your articles on my site?

You may quote small sections (one or two paragraphs) as long as you link to the original post. The link address can be found either at the bottom of the page (where it says 'Create a Link') or by right clicking on the post title.
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