Self Evaluation

When English 15S started, I thought it was going to be very similar to my AP Language and Composition class in high school. Some of the things we were learning seemed familiar and I thought I would be able to coast through. It ended up being very different from what I expected. I learned much about my writing and it helped me transition into college easier. 

I felt like I improved as a writer because I became more open to allowing a peer review my work. It is easy for me to be embarrassed of my writing and not want to share with others. I realized this only hurts me and my work. My writing improved each time I let another student provide their input. I saw a large difference from my first drafts to the work I ended up turning in because I let input from students alter it for the better. The blog also helped with this. An open forum for fellow freshmen to learn about me and my writing style on the internet made everything a little less nerve-wrecking. Hiding being the computer screen made it easier to be freer with my writing while still receiving input. The blog was also a great experience because I was able to utilize the resources at Penn State that I did not even know existed until this course. For example, I know that I would not have walked into the Palmer Museum of Art without the push from the class assignment. It gave me a chance to see outside the realm of sports and come across supplies that may help me in my years here at University Park to come. 

I feel closer to the arts that are on campus now because of this class. On such a large campus with a HUGE student population, it is easy to swept away in the bigger activities that generate a lot of support. I know I would probably pick going to a football game over a play any Saturday afternoon but I became more involved with going to the smaller events. Concerts and plays are always available. I am never bored on a campus like this one because there is always something to do. It isn’t that hard to find somewhere to go. The arts is also such a great way to meet more people interested in the same things as you when you attend events and put yourself out there. 

This class was also a nice change from the 300 plus lectures that occupy much of my schedule. Although the room seemed extremely small during the heat of the summer months, it was a nicer and less formal setting. Being a freshman, a smaller class every once in a while can help make things a little less scary. I even found some fellow Long Islanders within that tiny classroom. Most people I had met for the first few weeks seemed to already know each other and lived in Pennsylvania. This class offered a casual yet structured setting to see new faces from many different interests. Another benefit to the small setting was getting to know my professor. In large classes, it can be hard to make your face into office hours. This class arrangement allowed me to learn more about my professor as a person as well as a published writer. I truly believed that I learned a lot about myself as a writer because it was easier to have one on one time with a Ms. S. I also loved that she shared her own writing with the class. It made things more personal. It also was much better than reading a piece from someone we perpetually knew nothing about. 

Overall, I had a very positive experience in this class and I’m glad I chose it as my freshmen seminar. I would easily recommend this as seminar to future students, especially those who are undecided about their major. 

Part II. 

Blog Comments 

http://bryancarse74.blogspot.com/2012/09/first-college-field-trip-palmer-museum.html?showComment=1353965473731#c2517914674091332137

http://tarasaverageblog.blogspot.com/2012/10/5-movie-review-graduate.html?showComment=1353966175278#c2984535715284752890

http://curtincallblog.blogspot.com/2012/11/in-red-brown-and-often-confusing-water.html?showComment=1353966634151#c7057118246668160659

http://carascornerthearts.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-ready-set-at-penn-state-block-party.html

http://storiesfromstuart.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-friday-morning-spent-with-arts.html?showComment=1353967648314#c8482822305595219621

http://derosag5050.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-arboretum.html?showComment=1354038914280#c1401288949614297930

http://ashleelindoh.blogspot.com/2012/11/in-red-and-brown-water_16.html?showComment=1354039222382#c5158245322022431093

http://joewater.blogspot.com/2012/10/not-typical-college-story.html?showComment=1354039925321#c7603222970863883889

http://ifartcouldtalk101.blogspot.com/2012/09/i-was-unaware-that-art-museum-even-had.html?showComment=1354040819107#c952863949527857338

http://ideasoninspiration.blogspot.com/2012/10/artscultural-response-lecture-with.html?showComment=1354041246038#c3947538416536660764

Part III. 

SRTE

Hi Ms. S, I completed the SRTE!

Crazy for Shwayze

SPA hosted another free event featuring the rapper Shwayze on Wednesday last week. He is a West Coast rapper whose songs tend to feature the easy-living lifestyle of California. His style of rapping isn't so in your face as opposed to some of the current rap today. It is smoothing and relaxing rap that you could listen to on the beach. It's the kind of music you listen to with your convertible top down on the way to the beach.

When I found out about the concert, I was extremely excited. Ironically, the East Coast shores of Long Island have plenty of Shwayze fans. He has been featured at the infamous Jones Beach Theater right on the beach of the Atlantic Ocean. It was almost a taste of home for me because so many people listen to him.

His opening act was Crystal Seth, who didn't go over very well with the audience. He kept trying to get the student excited for Shwayze but in turn they just became inpatient. At multiple points he would say "PUT YA HANDS UP," and I could vaguely see one set of arms flailing in the back of Heritage Hall. I began to feel bad for him. He stormed off the stage as if his complete bombing didn't matter to him.

Finally, Shwayze came on stage at around 9 o'clock. He began with songs he knew that this smaller audience would know. There was a steep change from the act before. The audience became engaged and exhilarated. People were fighting to get to the front by the stage. A bunch of girls next to me were getting fiesty about being the closest people. I wasn't too concerned considering there weren't many people there. It was fun because it was an intimate setting. You were not sitting in some big arena where you can barely make out the features of the artists. You were not only able to see him but numerous times Shwayze jumped up to get on the gate where the audience stood. 

I overall enjoyed the concert despite it ending very early because it was a Wednesday night. The SPA has done a great job of getting some artists that are a little more obscure for Penn State students. We have such a diverse population of students with wide interests that this was a chance that the SPA took in order to reach out to a more hidden gem (sorry for the cliche).

Arts/Cultural Response: Bruce Springsteen Wrecking Ball Tour

I grew up with Bruce Springsteen. When I think about my childhood, I think about The Rising playing in my dad’s jeep. I remember going to the concert with my entire family after the 9/11 attacks. As a second grader, I understood that Bruce was the epitome of an American working class symbol. I stood on the seats with my sister for three hours screaming every word to “Thunder Road” at the top of my lungs. When I heard he was coming to University Park, I immediately invited my sister to come visit. I had been looking forward to this for months. Hurricane Sandy hit the same week that Bruce was suppose to be rolling into town and I got nervous the concert was going to be cancelled. The show went on but my sister couldn’t leave Long Island. I decided to go to the show anyway. 

The thing you can count on when you go to a Bruce Springsteen concert is three things most definitely. First, there is never any opening act. To say the least, the Boss does not need one. Second, the concert is always at least three hours long. The man how to put on a show and he intends to entertain. Lastly, the audience will have a very wide range in ages. He reaches all ages and has fans all over the country.

The first two hours was mainly the Wrecking Ball album. This was expected. He had to play his new stuff and get it out there. This is not what the people came for though. This audience came for his old stuff. I was sitting all the way in the back. My friend and I were surrounded by mostly adults who had obviously traveled a fair distance to come. They spent much of the time sitting down waiting for the songs they knew. At around 10 o’clock, he started to break into the music everyone knew. “Dancing in the Dark,” “Born to Run,” and “Rosalita” got everyone up on their feet. The college students in front of me were rallying this elderly couple in front of me to get up and dance. 

For another two hours and three encores, the Boss himself put on a great show. He had shout-outs and dedications to Clarence Clemens, Hurricane Victims, and Food Banks all over Pennsylvania. All of these were reminders of why we Bruce was able to get up on a stage at the age of 63 years old. He plays for the average American and is always looking to help his fellow neighbor. He is always there for us in our times of need and reminds us that we should be there for our neighbors as well. 

In Red and Brown Water: My Experience At Penn's State's Theater

In Red and Brown Water tells the story of Oya, the fastest runner around her neighborhood. She’s so fast she has the opportunity to move to a collegiate level but gives it up to stay with her sick mother. The play tells Oya’s journey at a second chance at her scholarship and her love life along the way. 

The most important part of Oya’s story is that she is given the chance to leave the projects and find a better life. She gives up on this the first time because she chooses her mother. Her mother is a single parent and Oya’s only true family. She puts family above all. When her second chance comes around, Oya falls short because she has become side-tracked with her love life to focus on running. For a single man, she puts what she loves to the most on hold. Running was Oya’s outlet. It not only gave her opportunities to an outside world but it was an escape from her current place in society. 

The most compelling part of this play was there were three piviotal points that Oya experienced hardship in her life. Each time something had gone wrong, things seemed to pile up and there were consecutive events tearing Oya down. The first point was when she had to give up her scholarship. The second was when she wasn’t her first love, Shango, leaves her to enlist in the army. The third was when Shango impregnates another woman. The three points show a distinct change in Oya’s life. Every time things seemed they were going to be alright, something comes around to keep Oya from rising to her full potential. 

From the first scene, I was confused on the setting of the play. The props, music, dancing, and set made it seem like the actors were in tribal Africa. When they spoke, the actors talked of living in the projects. The projects is usually more urban than the set that was provided for this play. I just began to assume they were in the projects based on the conversations that were going on but because it was vague I couldn’t tell the time period. Also, each character said their stage directions aloud. This makes it a little baffling and hard to follow. It takes a few scenes until you are truly able to follow their commentary on the play as it is going on. The only positive to this was it allowed you to become aware of each character’s presence within a scene. 

This was my first time experiencing a play at Penn State’s theater. I loved the theater itself. It was smaller and cozy which allowed for a more intimate settings. It allowed for a less passive audience because the actors were using the whole theater to their benefit. I wasn’t a fan of the play itself. The storyline wasn’t very interesting to me and I was often confused or lost. I have been to many performances before. They are usually much more large scale and well known plays though. I think I should have went into this play knowing a little more about it like I have for others. 

A Different Form of Higher Education

College cinema typically glorifies the social aspect of the college experience. Higher Education does the opposite by focusing on the challenges and prejudices a vulnerable college student experiences. This film shows an extremist view of segregation of races, ethnicities, sexes, and religions and frays from the conventional path of college movies.

The film follows three characters through their freshmen year of college. Each is meant to represent a specific group. An African-American boy who runs track at the university shows the struggle of an African-American student as he experiences racism for his skin color. A young woman who is raped very early on displays the worst fears of a girl trying to protect herself in college life. Lastly, there is the Caucasian boy who has trouble fitting and finding himself. He attaches himself to an extremist communist group. Each group is represented in a drastic way that at times seems a little too much. The purpose of each character is overdone as they fill these stereotypical roles. The point of their stereotypes matched with below-average acting makes the film predictable and a little “cheesy.”

A good college film should have a strong lead character who is usually an adolescent. He (or she) should be admirable and relatable as he finds himself as a person on campus. The college experience is very much about individuals which is why the main character must be strong and prominent within the film. It should involve the social aspect as well as the education within the classroom itself. The film should also show the relationships formed through the college experience since they are such a large part of what defines the individual. Higher Education most definitely fills this criteria for a “good” college film but I think that it was trying too hard to display its central theme of how college should be a place to let go of racial divides. The way the characters are portrayed creates a very obvious divide between races that builds an atmosphere that makes this university hard to relate to as a viewer. It almost turns into a movie about black vs. white making the white man seem evil. Everything is put to the largest extremes and the worst case scenario that the viewer really questions the reality of this film. 

The best audience for the film would be someone who is looking for a college film that takes on different challenges of a student, especially one that is a minority. Higher Education is not looking to glorify the college experience. It sees the more difficult struggles that one may experience. It is a movie that looks make the viewer aware of the cultural divides that can be formed on a university campus even in modern times. 

The Arboretum at Penn State

The University Park Campus is gigantic. I go for a jog every day and find something new to stumble upon. It often results in me getting lost but I always find my way back into Downtown eventually. While running, I love to stop at the Botanical Gardens at the Arboretum. There is usually only a few other people there and it’s a great place to enjoy what is around you. Located near the intramural fields, the Arboretum is a beautiful place to relax and engulf yourself in nature. 

It was fairly cold on the Monday morning we attended. With the bipolar weather of State College, Pennsylvania, I was unsure of how warmly to dress. Every morning I get up for class and freeze on my walk over. By my second class, I am sweating just waiting for an excuse to go back to the dorm and change. People all had jackets and coffee out to keep warm. As we waited in the sun for the rest of the class to arrive, everything began to warm up and was pleasant to just sit and enjoy the sun for a change of pace. 

When you walk in to the right, there is a huge white tent. It opens up to the view of the rolling hills. You can see the trees beginning to change colors. It is the perfect spot for a wedding: scenic and romantic. My favorite photo I took was the one of the building and tent from a far. There are flowers encompassing the perimeter of the the garden and the building set in the center is gorgeous. The flowers, scrubs, and plants on the outside bring your attention to the center and allow the building to seem so welcoming.

I like nature but I’m not the first want to go camping or running to sign up for a hike. This is the perfect place to relish in nature while not being too much of a “treehugger” or “hardcore.” I’m from Long Island, and I’m not use to this kind of scenic views. I’m completely surrounded by water, I do not usually get to enjoy the mountains and hills that surround us here in Pennsylvania. It is very different but also one of the reasons why I love State College. It is completely different from where I’m from and it is nice to experience the views of a new place.

I could see myself returning to this place to study on a bench. The library can be overwhelming with so many people looking to find a seat or desk to work at in peace. The Arboretum is quiet, private, and peaceful. It also allows you to remain undisturbed because people just want to savor the nature around them.

Most people are unaware of it. Which is ironic due to fact is it so near the sports complexes. Student’s lack of knowledge of this wonderful place shows how fast we are all moving. Constantly keeping up with the hectic lifestyle here and at school, that we do not even realize what beauty surrounds us right here on our university grounds. The Botanical Gardens is the perfect place to take a breath of fresh air and appreciate the little things that are provided to us. 

The Palmer Art Museum Visit

Friday was my first visit to the Penn State's own art museum, The Palmer Art Museum. It is a very small building but even the exterior is enticing. The large lion paws right in front are overpowering the rest of the architecture of the museum. I enjoyed my visit because there as a large range of what could be seen in this small place. There are two floors. The first floor consists mostly of ceramics, some asian prints, European paintings with large biblical focuses. The second floor consisted of more contemporary art. There was a larger range of mixed media and ranging time periods. There were portraits from the early American artists as well as photographs done by artists as late as the late 20th century and early 21st century. I enjoyed the second floor much more than the first because I enjoy the pop-art era and use of bright colors. There was more opportunity to see more cheerful paintings upstairs.

The painting that struck me most in the museum was actually the last one I sat down to look at. I spent forty minutes wandering the museum hoping to find something that I could find myself writing about. I took pictures of multiple other large and colorful paintings but in the end "Private Lives" by Roy De Forest was my favorite. It is acrylic on canvas and was created in 1981. I think I didn't notice it until as I was making my way out because when you just glance at it all you see are bright colors that are very confusing and almost blinding. As I looked deeper the shapes used in this painting were very interesting. The longer I looked the more figures I was able to make out from the brushstrokes of the artist. The center of the painting is a naked woman, which took me a long time to figure out because she is very abstract. She is sitting on a bed while the outskirts are filled with men who are formed from strange colors and interesting choices of shapes. One man has a square head and is dark red. This painting most definitely tells a story. The most important moral I believe that is coming through in this painting is the fact that there are never any secrets within a community. The use of faces on the inanimate objects shows how there is no privacy and nothing is a secret. The setting is a very private place (a bedroom) but there seems to be so many people and other beings, such as dogs, that have an inside look into this scene. The man who seems to be inside the bedroom is the only one who is smiling. The rest of the men are angry and seem judgmental. 

There doesn't seem to be any political situation in which the painting is centered because it was created in 1981 but there is credibility with the artist's name. Roy De Forest is known for pushing the boundaries for artists. He is known as "an artist's artist." His works are narratives in themselves which using the most interesting mediums and pushing the creative bounds to show his own original style.

Overall, I enjoyed my visit to the Palmer. It was a positive experience. I love to go to museums because I live near New York City and it's a relaxing way to just spend an afternoon. I could see myself going back in order to get away from the craziness that can be my new dorm life. It's a calmer escape from the loud and insane life of freshman living on campus and it gives me a taste of home. 

Blog Explanation

As I began to look at the purpose of this blog, I realized I needed an original that can be paired with the course well. I wanted something that was memorable but simple. "The Artsy Nittany Lion" is my way fusing the world of Penn State with a trendier outlook. "Artsy" is a term that is most commonly known as a slang word for someone who is not necessarily mainstream but off the beat and track. I wanted my blog to reflect the fact that although arts are not the most prominent thing when you think about Penn State, it is still apart of this community. 

The picture in the background is a painting of the mascot of the university. I picked it because of its use of a different medium to display our renown nittany lion. The same few images are used to symbolize our school and this takes one of those classic images and puts an original spin on it. 

As of now, I only have three pages listed on my page. I'm sure they will begin to evolve but this is just a starting point. My "About Me" section is just a short summary of some of the things that describe me. My interests are wide and I wanted to make sure that I put in a little bit of everything from sports to music. The "Photos" section is just a small look at some things that influence me. The picture of the sunset is my favorite spot back home and it is a place I visit often especially at sunset. It is important to me because it is the setting for many of my memories back home. The picture of beaver stadium was my first visit to Penn State back in April. I had never understood understood how vast and almost overwhelming the stadium and campus were until I visited. It was a large part of the reason of why I came here. There is a sense of pride when you see the stadium because you feel as if you are apart of something bigger than yourself. Lastly, I added a links page. The one link I added is a blog done by a few girls that I met on my floor. It is their way of keeping track of their college lives. I liked their blog because it is relatable to all freshmen and how they are experiencing so many of these things for the first time and choosing to remember them through a single photo each day makes it almost a virtual scrapbook of their college experiences.