Bakersfield College (BC) held an Art, Architecture, and Archetypes panel at the Levan Center on Thursday Feb. 27, 2025, from 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.
The panel included two professors from BC. English professor Daniel Gomez and Krista Moreland, an Anthropology professor, were the two professors present. The panel’s theme was Storytelling-The Beautiful and the Sublime.
Professor Gomez’s presentation went over the concepts of nature and The Beautiful and The Sublime. Professor Gomez explained the idea of how “nature” itself is a concept. The Beautiful was explained as other than “pretty” and “attractive,” it’s more of “harmony” and “control”. The Sublime was the final concept Professor Gomez covered, he explained it as a concept that “evokes a sense of awe, terror of nature and wonder.”
Professor Gomez included works by Immanuel Kant, Edmund Burke, Edward Kennedy, Thomas Cole, Joseph Mallord William Turner, and many more.
Professor Moreland started her presentation with a personal story about her grandpa. He had lived in Alaska and when Professor Moreland visited him in Alaska, she learned about a story called “The Strangest Story Ever Told.” The story follows friends who had strange experiences in the mountains and when they would go back down, they would pack up and leave to the states.
The author Harry D. Colp had hid away the book not planning for it to be published but after his passing his daughter had published it. Professor Moreland explained that the book had attracted tourism to the area. Professor Moreland explained how the Kushtaka, land otter people, were considered to be a reasoning behind the strange activity in the mountains. Professor Moreland also explained how storytelling was used by many with the intent of scaring children away from dangerous situations.
Rosario Lucaterol, a second year at BC, went to the event as she would get extra credit from her professor. Lucaterol mentioned that the part that stuck out to her the most was the story Professor Moreland had in her presentation. Lucaterol thought it would be a story like Big Foot, but it turned out to be different.
The Levan Center is planning a second part of the Art, Architecture, and Archetypes panel in early April. The second part is expected to be about journey.