My name is Kat Averell and I am an English major here at UMD, and here at UMD is somewhere I am super glad to be this fall. You see, I spent this summer working two jobs and that was an exhausting if monetarily rewarding experience. Now, I could go on with a few random facts about my life, but I think you would get a better idea of what I’m all about if I explain why I chose to take the class.
I’d like to draw your attention to my icon, that odd and slightly eerie blue dot to the left. That is the star Vega–or more accurately, a mid-infrared image of the debris disk around Vega. I’m fascinated by astronomy, particularly the cultural associations and myths attached to the stars and constellations. The stars have been our most widespread and constant inspiration for literally the entirety of human history–doesn’t that just blow your mind? The stars are something that nearly every human that has ever been has seen! Looking at the similarities and differences in the myths across cultures and over time is a study in the wonders of the human imagination. In Chinese legend, Vega and the other vertices of the Summer Triangle tell the story of a weaver woman separated from her family, while the ancient Greeks placed the star in a constellation of Orpheus’s lyre. Meanwhile, the ancient Egyptians and Indians, and later medieval Europeans, all associated Vega with a vulture or eagle. That we so consistently take the abstract and mysterious and craft from it order and emotion–in short, stories–is to me the greatest thing about human intellect. Storytelling is the very foundation of culture and consciousness, and that’s why I’ve made it my mission to study it. I’m very excited to start exploring digital forms of storytelling as a new canvas for the oldest art known to man, and look forward to spending time in this endeavor with the staff of MITH and my good DCC friends!