The Circle Blog

All that happens will be known.

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Overwhelmed and excited- these are the emotions that Mae feels as she joins The Circle and I think I feel very similarly to that. The vastness and abundance of resources in The Circle is quite similar to that of Penn State, since all the amenities required for a comfortable lifestyle are available to us. This abundance of amenities is brought out when Renata points of yoga studios, pools etc. I think this really adds to the feeling of community as you have everything you want, so accessible to you.

There is also the custom of naming the buildings and streets to make everything seem even more comforting; in The Circle, it’s after historical eras whereas at Penn State, it’s after people who have made some incredible contributions to the school. I think the choice of names at Penn State make everything so much easier because there are too many buildings to count and sometimes it gets hard to navigate if the buildings and streets were named as peculiarly as they are.

One of the first words that come to mind when we think about Penn State is family, There is an intense sense of belonging, which rubs off as soon as one enters the premises. That sense of community has also been established in the novel through the general enthusiasm of the workers in response to their ultimate boss, which is brought out in the lines “The applause thundered through the room.”, on page 71. I think the  positive and energetic responsiveness to higher authority is quite similar to what we see in Penn State; there is no fear or resentment, only respect and admiration.

However, there is a major distinction in both the communties, since The Circle seems to more of a cage whereas Penn State is so much more open to new people. The chant of the Circle is also  incredibly disturbing whereas at Penn State, the chants of “We Are” puts forward a collective team spirit not a brainwashing agenda, such as that of the Circle’s “All that happens must be known”. This also puts forth a very important digression- Penn state greatly values the privacy of their residents whereas the Circle completely disregards that, which can be seen through the general purpose of TruYu.

I think what I see as the primary difference between Penn State and the Circle, is that they are both communities which aim at offering the people what they desire. However Penn State is more so of something that grows onto you because of the general grace of it all whereas the Circle is something that is forced down in order to attain a coveted lifestyle. I think we are all incredibly fortunate to be in a community that is as flexible yet homely and there’s nothing I would like better than to call myself a part of this incredible family.

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Hello there, the angel from my nightmare.

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There is a certain beauty to getting lost in the lyrics of a song and finding yourself in it. I have always admired the incredible ability of music to be so vital to my everyday workings because I cannot imagine a day without having my earphones plugged in and some song ,that matches my mood, just blasting into my ears. However, I always find myself being conflicted in the age old battle of the ‘Tastes in Music’. “The 90s were the best time for music.” or “The 80s were the best times for music” or “Heavy metal is satanic” etc.

When I was younger, I used to get into a lot of incessant fights that were pertaining to the conflict that arises due to the divergence in tastes of music. What I never tried to understand what that people listen to music in accordance to what they feel and what might pertain to the pop culture of that time. I slowly sunk into me that just because I could relate to the rage of Nirvana or Green Day songs. doesn’t mean everyone else could. In a time where everyone is satisfied with their mediocrity and has accepted it, there’s no rage about feeling incomplete or being unable to fulfill our passions.

I decided that it was very important to explain with civility why there is such a variance in choices of music and how one cannot judge a person on the basis of the music they listen to. I have met incredible people who don’t match my music taste, perhaps because we are different in our inherent behaviors; not everyone feels dissatisfied in their won skin or relates to the angsty nature of Blink 182 songs. I think it is integral to understand that everyone has a different perspective towards life and that music all depends upon that. There is no use in getting into violent disagreements about the phrase “pop punk'” or if ‘EDM is for people who are brain dead” Music is supposed to save you from your demons and there is always a polite way to sort out different opinions.