Wagner Free Institute of Science

My visit to the Wagner Institute was not what I expected.  Having traveled to many museums through my journeys in America and abroad, I expected to see a modern day building with many of the modern features. Instead I stepped through time to what seems, the late 19^th or early 20^th century.

Having missed the class visit to the Wagner Institute, I found myself at a disadvantage.  I did not get a guided tour and no one to ask any questions or to direct my questions towards.  The staff was so busy, they almost could not take my donation.  But I also considered it advantageous because I was not limited to what I saw or where I could go.  I spent time looking over some items that interested me while skipping those that did not.

From the outside rundown look to the heavy wooden doors and hardwood floors, you are stepping into another time.  I was thinking that this stuff is so old, I may not learn or see something new.  I was very wrong. 

Yes, many of the displays were old and the gems and minerals were identical to others, but the fossils and animals were different.

I had never been so close to a Bald Eagle, dead or alive, in my life.  I never knew a horse’s spine protruded the way it does and I never knew that Mastodons lived in North America as few as 5000 years ago.  The bat display made understanding how their sonar works and how other animals do not stand a chance of hiding.  I never knew so many types of squirrels existed.

This may not be the fanciest museum I have ever visited, but it is highly recommended for a nice trip in time.

Dr. Karen Cox's Visit

History is written by the victors, but is history also written by Hollywood?  The Civil war was a battle between the Union forces of the North and the Confederate army of the South for the future of the United States.  Dr. Karen Cox made a case that the knowledge and feelings many have towards the South was sold to us first by movies, then by television.

Dr. Cox talked about how the South is romanticized by the North, how men are respectful and women are soft and gentile.  This is in direct contrast to the North where the men are brutes and women loose.  She mentioned shows like the Andy Griffin show and movies like Gone with the Wind. 

I understand that Hollywood embellishes to create drama and suspense but I find it difficult to believe that these are ideas that spring out of the talking heads in Hollywood.  I tend to believe the South was not like the movies for the majority of the people and that it more closely resembled “Roots” than “North and South”.  I do not believe that the Slaves were happy; they were treated harshly and believe that they were always trying to escape. 

I did not feel any connection with Dr. Cox’s talk and realized that it may be my own images of the South.  To be completely fair, I am a strong believer of right and wrong and love America very much.  My first interaction with the history of the south was watching the mini-series “Roots” and it may be still influencing my views now.  I also did not like the Civil War because it was about Americans fighting other Americans.  I want this country to be strong and felt this war affected America’s development to be the greatest country in the world.