I think that Odyssey is one of those things that requires an explanation, and I haven't really explained it yet.
Within our school, Odyssey is much like Blue Man Group. You know those commercials where people try to describe Blue Man Group, but can't - they can only talk about how awesome it is? Whenever you ask someone who has taken Odyssey what Odyssey is, exactly, their immediate response is almost always, "Oh man, it's a great class. It's just... A great class. Take it and you'll know." They always sound like there is something magical about it.
Here would be my description, if someone asked me now: Odyssey teaches you how to be a creative intellectual. You learn how to connect history to culture. You learn how to express yourself clearly, and filter out the BS. You learn how to work with people in high stress situations. You learn about philosophy and cultural psychology. Most importantly, you learn how to take your ideas and run with them without waiting for anyone to tell you what to do. There is no one to tell you what to do, so you learn how to learn and create for yourself. That's what creativity is, isn't it?
I'm sure that if I were to tell this to someone, I would sound like I found it magical. Because, even though I know it's a little silly and irrational... I do.
All the magic resides within Mr. Sampson. He creates it. He creates a sense of loyalty to Odyssey in almost everyone who takes the class. Odyssey is special. It's different. It's its own culture within the school, and no matter who you are, you are a part of it as long as you take the class. It becomes a part of you. And it has to be a good class, it just has to. You can't insult Odyssey. It's sacred.
The thing is, over the past few months, I've been realizing, "...I think he knows what he's doing."
Mr. Sampson reads us the emails he gets from Odyssey alumni, which, of course, all talk about what an awesome class it is and how much they learned. The walls are covered with drawings done by alumni, newspaper clippings about alumni, and "Odyssey inside jokes." ("There are a lot of Odyssey inside jokes among the intellectual elite in this country," Mr. Sampson said once.) He calls Odyssey a "cult" and the people who take it "Odyssey Geeks." In class, he has us examine the culture we are creating in the class. What are our cultural norms? How are they enforced? What roles need to be filled in the class and who plays them? How have some members of the class influenced other members? We talk about what roles we play when we work in groups, and at one point, everyone in the class took the Meyers-Briggs test. This gets to the point where not only do you know most people in the class pretty well, the class as a whole has a personality. The class is its own culture.
I'm also pretty sure that Mr. Sampson goes out of his way to establish a personal connection with every single member of each class, in one way or another. I'm pretty sure that each person feels special. I'm pretty sure he does it on purpose.
Is that not brilliant?
Interestingly, the vast majority of Odyssey kids are ENFPs. This might be part of the reason I feel like I am somewhat of a blacksheep in the class. It's weird - I like the class as much as anybody else, and to me, it seems like it would appeal to other people with an INT mindset. But when I've talked to Julian and Dave about it, they're all, "Aren't there a bunch of drama kids in that class?" "That sounds like Hell to me." "So, it's all kind of BS philosophical stuff, right?"
No man, it's not like that. If you took it, you would understand.
Anyway, everyone in the class knows me, because I talk a lot during whole class discussions (which happen a lot). They all seem to respect me, but at the same time, they sometimes seem to be weirded out by me. I only realize this once in a while. I guess people take it personally when I disagree with them or something. This never would have occoured to me. Arguments are fun. I'm just bouncing around ideas with you guys. I still like you. I feel like I'm bad at groupwork too. I have gotten a lot better at groupwork since the year started, since Mr. Sampson turns groupwork into a science - he actually spells out for you what has to happen in the group to maintain good group dynamics. (See, how is that not T?) But there are still all these weird little social cues that I don't pick up on. How am I supposed to know what people want me to do or stop doing if they don't tell me? How do I know when I'm doing well versus when people are just being nice? How long can I stick up for this idea before I offend so-and-so? Is it worth it? It's all very complex. And social cues are subtler and more complex when you're not hanging out with INT type people.
Yesterday after I made up the exam I missed while I was out, Mr. Sampson asked me how things were going in my group.
(He always sounds like he genuinely cares. He also always sounds like he already knows exactly what is going on.)
"Eh," I said.
"What do you mean 'Eh'?" he said. (With energy. He's definately very E.)
"Well, I dunno. I guess it's fine - it's just..."
"So there is conflict?" He smiled a knowing smile, which I think might be the only kind of smile he's capable of.
(He knows, I thought.)
"No, it's just... There's not conflict, there just has been conflict in the past between me and another member of the group."
"Well are you going to resolve it?"
"Pf. No."
"You're just not going to talk about it."
"Well, yeah. I think it works best that way. Nobody else even knows." He kind of looked at me for a while like he was reading me. I turned to leave, but then turned back again and said, "I feel like I'm still kind of bad at groupwork."
"Why?" he said.
"Well, I feel like I'm always too much to one side - I mean, I guess in class people think I'm too agressive - which totally never occoured to me before - but my last group marked me down for not contributing enough and 'alienating myself.'"
So then we talked for like twenty minutes about the problems that assertive introverts face in groups (like, people don't give them a break for being introverts, like they would for, say, Bonnie, but they're still introverts and it's still hard) and how I can get better. He said that I'm basically on the right track. It was a fascinating conversation, and throughout it, he seemed like he thought it was fascinating too. Finally he said, "The problem for people like you, and for that matter, Bonnie, is that the workplace is becoming more and more group oriented. The preference to work by one's self is respected less and less. One of the reasons we have so much group work in this class is because there are very few things you can do today that don't involve group work. You're going to have to deal with it. Unless, of course, you become a jazz soloist, but that's not going to happen unless you get to jazz band." He looked at the clock and smiled.
"Oh, right," I said. Then I thought,
"...He knows I'm in jazz band? And he knows when jazz band is?"
I must have mentioned it before... But he still must listen really hard.
After I thought this, I felt that magical feeling. I felt special. I felt like I was a part of something. I felt very loyal to Mr. Sampson, and to the class.
Brilliant.
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