Week 10
Saturday
Our lesson for this week is pretty exciting, as we’ll be going over the movie Moana. I can’t say that Moana is my favorite Disney movie (that spot is reserved for The Princess and the Frog), or even in the top 3 (The Lion King and Cheetah Girls follow after respectively), but I’d be lying if I said I don’t enjoy this movie. I’m not surprised that professor Sandridge chose this movie as a means for discussion, as it’s one of those movies that instantly cause you to reflect on your purpose and who you are after watching. This happened to me the first time I saw it; I admired Moana’s personality traits and wondered if I had any traits in common with her. I think the biggest thing that stood out to me was her bravery, and her firmness in going after what she believed in. I talked a few times regarding this in my journal, but I really admire who I was when I was younger. Not in a vain way, but in the sense that I often find myself wondering what happened to this Mi’Joi. The reason for this, is because I think I had better leadership qualities then, than I do now. I was a big advocate for not bullying others, I was very charismatic, I was much braver, and I was more passionate about the things that mattered to me. The reason I bring this up, is that I saw Moana in my younger self when I watched the movie (I say this as if I’m super old). Whenever I think about this, I often wonder if I can, and will, ever rediscover these characteristics that I find admirable now. With that being said however, let’s get into the lesson for this week~
Our assignment for this week was to watch the movie (yay!), and identify some elements of mentorship that we looked at in characters throughout the course. Here was what I found;
In my opinion, I feel Moana related to Binti the most. Perhaps it's because they’re around the same age, but I found that they both had similar styles of leadership. The biggest thing to me, was their ability to be alone, but to also embrace others’ company. Maui and Moana didn’t get along great at the beginning of their friendship, but Moana persisted and stuck by his side. It reminded me of Binti’s ability to make friends with her enemy. These encounters weren’t of the same caliber, but their attitudes towards these situations are what I found comparable.
There were also some exercise that Dr. Sandridge wanted us to try out, so here were my entries;
(For this one, we were to fill in the blanks for the song “How Far I’ll Go)
I’ve been staring at the road ahead
‘Long as I can remember, never really knowing why
I wish I could be the perfect global citizen
But I come back to fear and self-doubt, no matter how hard I try
Every turn I take, every trail I track
Every path I make, every road leads back
To the place I know, where I can not go, where I long to be
See the land that lies on the other side of the sea? It calls me
And no one knows, how far it goes
If I get the opportunity to travel to another land
One day I’ll know, if I go there’s just no telling how far I’ll go
I know everybody here in this country, seems so happy in this country
Everything is by design
I know everybody in this country has a role in this country
So maybe I can roll with mine
I can lead with knowledge and compassion, I can make us strong
I’ll be satisfied if I play along
But the voice inside sings a different song
What is wrong with me?
See the light as it shines on my destiny? It’s blinding
But no one knows, how deep it goes
And it seems like it’s calling out to me, so come find me
And let me know, what’s beyond that border, will I cross that path?
The journey abroad. It calls me
And no one knows, how far it goes
If I get the opportunity to travel to another land
One day I’ll know, how far I’ll go
Admittedly, this exercise felt pretty cheesy and a little embarrassing to do, but it was actually pretty fun. w\With that being said, here’s my entry to the other exercise;
(For this exercise, we were to rewrite the lyrics to “I Am Moana”)
Original lyrics:
Who am I?
I am a girl who loves my island
I’m the girl who loves the sea
It calls me
I am the daughter of the village chief
We are descended from voyagers
Who found their way across the world
They call me
I’ve delivered us to where we are
I have journeyed farther
I am everything I’ve learned and more
Still it calls me
And the call isn’t out there at all, it’s inside me
It’s like the tide, always falling and rising
I will carry you here in my heart you’ll remind me
That come what may
I know the way
I am Moana!
My version:
Who am I?
I am a girl who loves music
I am a girl who loves to learn
It calls me
I am the granddaughter of a woman that survived a period filled with hate
We are descended from pioneers
Who were forced to leave their land
They call me
I’ve had to voice the same concerns
In hopes that we’ll get even further
I am everything I’ve learned and more
Still it calls me
And the call isn’t out there at all, it’s inside me
It’s like the tide, always falling and rising
I will carry you here in my heart you’ll remind me
That come what may
I know the way
I am Mi’Joi
