Students in Stories & Storytelling arrived at the Library Reading Room this morning prepared to tell stories about The Trickster. The assignment was:
Choose a local trickster and create a 5 minute story that will be performed in class. Your trickster should showcase at least 2 trickster qualities we covered in class. Your trickster must also accidentally disrupt and then re-order reality (i.e., social system, cosmos, or mystical systems) of life in the NEK and/or here at Sterling. You will not need to write or turn in anything- just come in ready to perform. Costumes and props must be included.
As we headed to class, we stumbled into Oona and her goats sitting outside the Brown Library. They climbed on the bench, rubbed against legs, nibbled on zipper pulls and even tried to sneak into the Library for a visit. This playful interaction was actually one of the stories and the goats were the tricksters. The class spent a few minutes outside feeding the goats and essentially writing the story together as a class. The goats headed back to the Farm and class headed inside for the next presentation.
The story of Barbie and Nubuto came next and was both a fun (funny!) and effective glimpse of a trickster in action.
We discussed a lot about duality and how, without it, life wouldn’t be as rich or as interesting. Trickster’s help to reveal the shadows in all of us and in proper Sterling fashion, the story of The Poop Bandit not only explored a trickster who doesn’t flush the toilet but provided a funny forum to contemplate an issue that arises at the college from time to time.
Even Snowpea decided to show her trickster stripes and sneak into the class for a minute!
