Beating the Bounds, November 3

For this week’s class we started off by doing our Research Paper Slams. Each student had one minute to present one Powerpoint slide about our research essay topics. Although we have all presented our research topics in previous classes it was interesting to see how students have changed their topics and how their papers are evolving.

After our one minute slams, we welcomed Dr. Markus Poetzsch from the Department of English and Film Studies into our class.  Dr. Poetzsch gave us a new perspective of walking as a form of defining space. He informed us of the European tradition of ‘Beating the Bounds’. This processional walk lead by a priest is used to enforce the knowledge of parish boundaries and the importance of remaining within ones local boundaries.

He related this to a reading entitled “Walking in the City: Spatial Practices” by de Certeau which emphasizes how walking allows us to define characteristics and dimensions of a city which maps wouldn’t enable us to.

Dr. Poetzch also shared interesting information about how walking can in fact improve memory and even counter the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. A second reading entitled “In Praise of Walking” by Leslie Stevens elaborates the idea that walking allows us to make memories by connecting our physical presence to certain locations and making memories from that.

After the short lecture we adventured throughout the Laurier campus to find our own boundary marks which we later shared with the class.  Overall this week’s lesson was very interesting, and gave us new insight to the ideas of walking as a form of place making, and as a framework for memories.

By:  Hayley Kraik and Mianda Thwaites