"Dance As Though No One Is Watching"

I was never the type of person who was amazing at painting or drawing. Sculptures and clay was never my thing either, but I always loved art and expressing myself. Since I was a little girl dance has been something that I loved to do. My mom had always told me that I learned to dance before I could walk across the room. I was a gymnast almost my entire life, but always loved to take a few dance classes here and there.

My sophomore year of high school was my last year as a gymnast due to an injury that was taking over my body. I made the best decision of my life to quit gymnastics and move on to dancing. The first week at my new dance studio was amazing and I could not understand why I never noticed that dancing was what I was made to do. Junior and senior year of high school I devoted all my time to dancing. I auditioned and made the competition team and had rehearsals everyday.

At first I danced because I loved it. My movements made me feel powerful and beautiful all at the same time. The summer going into senior year I started to take my dance experience to the next level, and began to see it as an art form. I appreciated all types of dance, especially modern and contemporary. When I took these dance classes I found that they start out very slow to teach you how important the basics are. Dance has taught me that being successful comes from within yourself and your ability to work hard at something you want to accomplish. If this meant starting from the absolute beginning, then I was prepared for it.

Senior year and freshman year of college I decided that dance was something I wanted to keep in my life. I decided to research different dance companies and clubs here on campus. I found many that have interested me, and even went to a few shows that have showed the talent here at Penn State. The dance program here at Penn State is great, and I am even looking to minor in dance. Next semester I am taking the opportunity to experience the art of dance here at Penn State. I am taking a contemporary ballet dance class, and am hoping this will influence my decision to minor in dance.

Self Evaluation

1)

            English 15s has been a journey through the arts. This class has made me grow as a writer and helped me recognize and appreciate the arts at Penn State. This semester not only taught me how to improve my writing, but also helped me grow as a person. I was never a very strong writer, but this class has pushed me to challenge my methods and style of writing.

The visual argument essay was my first step when trying to challenge myself. When learning about pathos, ethos, and logos I realized that I never actually thought about those things when writing a paper. I always was aware of the fact that my paper needed to have an argument, but never truly focused on it. This class has taught me how to prove my argument and prove each type in a different way. Certain types of arguments, such as visual arguments, need visual analysis and descriptive detail. This semester I learned how to approach this in a way that wouldn’t make the details too overwhelming, but still enough to show the facts behind my argument. This semester I worked on adding pathos into my writing. At first I had a lot of trouble with this because I found it hard to add emotions in to an English paper. The visual analysis paper helped me overcome this obstacle because the piece I chose was full of emotion. In order to prove my argument the tone of the piece had to be translated into my paper. This assignment helped me add pathos and taught me exactly how to do that. I felt that the blog was also very helpful in this class. Writing in my own blog and commenting on other student’s blogs has taught me the difference between formal and informal writing. The blog was a place for me to have my own voice and express my own personality.

This class has also taught me a lot about the arts here at Penn State. English 15s has opened up my eyes to the various possibilities that this campus has to offer. Attending the Palmer Museum and the Arboretum were my absolute favorite things when it came to the arts at Penn State. As a freshman, I was unaware of everything Penn State had, and attending these various places was interesting and beautiful to see. When you are a college student you are so focused on your work, you never have the time to appreciate the arts and other things around you. This class has given me the time and opportunity to become one with my surroundings. I can now say to my friends back at home that Penn State is a beautiful campus, even past the things you see everyday. The play that we saw was also something I really appreciated during this class. Of course this was a fun assignment to begin with, but after actually seeing and writing the blog post, I was able to appreciate the arts even more. These were students singing and acting and I found it to be absolutely amazing.

            I learned a lot from this class, even as a person. The final assignment was a great way for me to build as a writer because I can work on my own mistakes in a memoir that I had previously written. I think this class has truly helped me grow as a person, but especially guided me in my journey to becoming more of a confident writer. This was the first class I attended here at Penn State University, and it made me feel comfortable in getting used to the college experience. 

                                          

2) 

1) http://morgannsays.blogspot.com/2012/09/template-as-i-was-thinking-about-how-to.html?showComment=1348237960057#c4908952795184441669

2) http://theartofanargument.blogspot.com/2012/09/blog-post-3-

arboretum.html?showComment=1349215294585#c699229664313744755

3) http://jspellman94.blogspot.com/2012/11/in-red-and-brown-water.html?showComment=1354500003526#c1267019133167088483

4) http://rfatherly.blogspot.com/2012/11/in-red-and-brown-water-by-tarell.html?showComment=1354500243412#c7226769934206088605

5) http://itsblogtimeeverybody.blogspot.com/2012/11/in-red-and-brown-water.html?showComment=1354500454858#c7749104301971084605

6) http://articulatingtheartsatpennstate.blogspot.com/2012/11/artsculture-response-jack-johnson.html?showComment=1354500693601#c7673755073422957842

7) http://morgannsays.blogspot.com/2012/10/good-will-hunting-movie-review.html?showComment=1355183551618#c9182164854892722136

8) http://haileyhere.blogspot.com/2012/11/in-red-and-brown-water.html?showComment=1355184353540#c5336414249420400831

9) http://quirkyconfessional.blogspot.com/2012/12/greek-sing_4.html?showComment=1355184818032#c846314632948325809

10) http://jrose412.blogspot.com/2012/12/for-love-of-music.html?showComment=1355185115992#c2045236791978477089

3) Hi, Ms. S--I completed my SRTEs!

Catch-22 Marathon Reading

Here at Penn State the arts are surrounding us every day. This year the College of Liberal Arts sponsored a marathon reading of the novel Catch-22, written by Joseph Heller. What even is a marathon reading? I have never heard of such an event until posters advertising the reading were posted all over campus. Something like this seemed odd to me at first, but the idea grew on me as time went by. Being a freshman, I was still learning about all the opportunities that Penn State had to offer. This event seemed like a great way for me to get involved, while experiencing the community around me.  

The marathon reading began at 1:00 p.m., on the lawn in front of the Paterno/Pattee Library. This reading allowed students and faculty to come together and read the entire novel in five to seven minute increments. The reading took over twenty-four hours to complete and continued through the night. People were encouraged to bring pillows and blankets to camp out overnight while listening to the reading. Pizza was served for dinner and breakfast was served for those who were still there in the morning. People were allowed to sign up for a time slot and then read a part of the novel. The author of Catch-22, Joseph Heller, was a former Penn State Professor. He started to write this novel while teaching his first-year composition class. This information taught me something about the Penn State community, and I ended up attending the marathon reading for a little to see what it was all about.

            

I arrived to the lawn at about nine p.m. There were a lot less people there then I had originally expected. I was not signed up to read, but my roommate was so I thought I would sit and listen to her and a few other people. When I first sat down an older woman was at the podium reading into the microphone. She read with such enthusiasm and made it very interesting to listen too. Of course I was very lost in the plot line due to the fact that I came while they were in the middle of the novel, but it was still fun to sit and listen to such a sweet woman read with passion. As I sat there waiting for my roommate to read, I began to get tired. I couldn’t seem to pay attention to the reading and I was still very lost in what was happening. This event was on a Thursday and I had class the next morning. Although this event seemed like a very great way for people of the community to get involved, it was hard for a lot of college students to attend because it was so long. Attending this event was very interesting and great to see what Penn State does to honor the people in the community that have accomplished many things. Although I feel like it would have been better to do over the weekend, it still was a great idea to try again next year!

In The Red and Brown Water

In The Red and Brown Water, played at the Playhouse Theater, was a very enjoyable and humorous play. The main characters Oya, Mama Moja, Shango, Elegba, Aunt Elegua and Ogun Size narrate and act out the story. It is mainly about Oya’s struggles in finding herself, who she is meant to be with, and what running means to her. Throughout the play she comes across hard times in her life and she is unsure of how to handle them. Oya goes from wanting to run for a school, to staying at home with her mom, and then wanting to build a family but unsure of whom that will be with. In the play each character is also the narrator. This works in the plays favor because it adds a little humor to the somewhat serious plot line. Each character narrates when they are coming into the scene, how they are coming into the scene, and sometimes just their next actions. My favorite part about this performance was the humor and differences between the characters. Each had a unique personality and something that separated them from all the others. I felt as if this was a good balance between the funny and more serious characters. The contrast between Shango and Ogun Size seemed very important in this play because it shows the different types of men that Oya is torn between. She has a hard time deciding if she is in love with the nice businessman, or the handsome army stud. Although Shango is not loyal to her, she still has fallen for him. These scenes where Oya shows her love for Shango makes the audience feel bad for Ogun because he truly is in love with her. In the end, Oya does not find herself and what her purpose is, but I do feel like she has learned something very valuable. The end of the play was very surprising and kind of odd. When looking back at the beginning of the play, the opening scene was foreshadowing the end. I think this play was very interesting, and directed very well. The humor and plot line together created an enjoyable play that all could understand. This was not the first theater play that I have seen. I love watching plays on Broadway and have actually seen a play here on the Penn State Campus from a different group of people. This play was much different then the previous one I saw, but I enjoyed this one much more. The actors in this play were very mature and played their part very well. I felt as if I was watching a play with professional actors.  Going into this play I was concerned it was not going to be entertaining and also concerned that the acting would be like the last show I saw on campus. Right from the beginning the play caught my attention and proved my original accusation to be incorrect. After watching this play, I would love to go back and see more and would recommend this play to others everywhere! 

Higher Learning: Movie Review

Movie: Higher Learning

Writer/Director: John Singleton

Genre: Drama

Starring: Omar Epps, Tyra Banks, Ice Cube, Laurence Fishburne, Kristy Swanson, Jennifer Connelly, Cole Hauser, Jay R. Ferguson, and Michael Rappaport

Looking for a great college movie focused on the lives of partying and studying college students? Higher Learning does just that and much more. It’s an emotional ride through the college life of certain characters struggling to make ends meet. In this movie you have the stereotypical college girls, the typical frat boys, the social reformers, the lesbians, the racists and the kids that are just trying to get by. As they all come together, one messed up college campus is formed where tragedies happen to everyone: even the nice people who are standing on the outside.

This drama illustrates the perplexity of social, political and racial standards on a diverse college campus. Track star Malik struggles with his academic career while at the same time is dealing with the racial segregation from his classmates as well as the campus police. Right from the beginning we see his frustration as a young girl holds onto her purse tightly as she enters the elevator with him. Throughout the entire movie Malik has difficulty finding himself in a town where people set him up to fail. The character of Kristen becomes the victim of date rape after having too much to drink one night. She then struggles with her sexuality and tries to create a better campus for all her fellow classmates. The character of Remy is approached by a racist group, shaves his head, and commits crimes affecting the lives of innocent by standards.

As you can see, this movie is filled with personal and social conflicts, and something intense is happening in every scene. This movie was released in theaters in 1995 and was rated R for the graphic scenes and fowl language. The final scene is where most audience members feel like this movie moves away from being considered a college movie and turns more towards a movie focused around racial problems. The gruesome scene of a campus shooting leaves some in tears and others in pure shock.

Director John Singleton was the first African American and the youngest person to be nominated for best director at the Academy Awards. He is director of many other movies including Rosewood and 2 Fast 2 Furious. Here he created an entertaining, shocking movie that revealed a lot about the college life of that time period. He turns a great college movie into a drama that makes people realize the vices of human beings, and hopefully show them the tragedies that they can lead to.

If you’re looking for an emotional, moving drama about the lives of college students, then Higher Learning is perfect for you!

The Arboretum at Penn State

If you are a nature person then the place to go on campus is the Penn State Arboretum! It is a beautiful space filled with flowers, plants, trees, ponds and even pieces of architecture. Each different species of plant life is labeled and you learn new things every time you go. This is a great place to relax, go for a stroll, and take some great pictures. While walking through the Arboretum, or sitting on the various benches and chairs that are provided, you can escape the outside world and just admire the nature around you!

Although I am not much of a nature person, I do love the Penn State Arboretum! The first time I visited the Arboretum there was a wedding that was taking place and this drew me in right away! I am into love stories and romantic things, and seeing this wedding here made me realize the true beauty it has to offer. After being here a few times, I always remember that one moment where I saw the wedding being set up and I always wonder what it would be like to get married there. Not only did this one event influence me to come back more then once, but also the fact that there is always something new and beautiful to expect.  Every time I go back I see something new that was added, and I enjoy this because it’s not the same thing over and over again. Another reason I love to visit the Arboretum is the feeling I get when I am there. Being there makes me forget about all the stress life brings me, and for a moment my busy life doesn’t feel so busy.  

 I always loved photography and taking photos here was a great way for me to get back into it! The colorful flowers and sunflower section was one of my favorite parts and I could go there many times and still feel the same way about it. My favorite subject to photograph is flowers and other parts of nature, and that’s exactly what the Arboretum provided for me. The bright colors of the sunflowers and all the great textures of the different flowers and stems were great subjects for my photos! The pond was also a great place for me to take my pictures because of the reflection and sense of stillness the water has. Not only do the lily pads and various flowers in the pond stand out in the photos, but also the reflection of the sky and clouds.

I would highly recommend a visit to the Arboretum to both nature lovers and non-nature lovers here on campus. I feel as if it is a place that should be visited at least once when living here on campus, because it is a great way to escape from the busy college life, and remind people of the beauty that this world has to offer! Even if you are not a nature-person, you might end up loving it just as much as I do! 

Palmer Museum Visit

The piece of art I choice was the Harlem Rose, constructed and made by Willie Cole in 2005 and 2006.  This piece uses old, scuffed female shoes to create a circular object that shows the bottoms of worn shoes. With the front tips of the shoes facing outward, the sculpture creates a flower like image. This piece was created to tell a story about the African American women in the time period of the civil rights movement. This piece of art may seem just like a bunch of shoes arranged in a circle, but surprisingly it has more of an effect on the audience when the facts behind the piece come into play. 

The time period behind this piece of work shows the historical aspect of women during the civil rights movement. Although to some people the artwork may just seem like shoes, to others who look more deeply into its meaning, it may represent the hard working, determined African American women of the time period. With the bottoms of the shoes being scuffed and shown throughout the entire piece, Willie Cole creates the image of women walking in civil rights marches and protests. Although this piece was created a few years ago, the time period Willie Cole had in mind when creating this piece influences the way the audience perceives his art. When realizing he is representing the hard work of the African American women during the civil rights movement the piece changes from a circle of shoes to a story of the past.

At first when looking at this piece I felt confused and just enjoyed it because I love shoes. After reading into the piece of work my emotions changed and I felt more moved by the piece. Although I can’t relate directly to the meaning behind the sculpture, I still feel as if it affected me. Images of women in marches, and women being pushed away while fighting for equal rights came into my head and I began to realize why the shoes were used to create this piece of artwork. I feel as if Willie Cole is a credible artist. He is also African American, which could be used to understand why his piece represents the struggles of African Americans in the past. He is a known international sculptor and primarily uses domestic and previously used objects such as blow dryers, irons, high-heeled shoes, and old recycled bicycle parts. Willie Cole attended Boston University School of Fine Arts and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.  Throughout his career he received many awards, including national awards for African-American art. Based on the known awards and prestigious college Willie Cole attended, I came to the conclusion that he was a credible artist.

My overall experience at the Palmer was a lot better then I expected it to be. At first I thought I was going to hate the entire experience because museums and paintings don’t really interest me, but when I came across the sculptures, I began to appreciate the art and meanings behind them. I found the sculpture with the shoes the most interesting mainly because the artist used my favorite thing to create something with more of a meaning.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kimberly-brooks/first-person-artist-willi_b_84255.html

Template: I wanted to represent myself and my personality in this blog, while at the same time make it easy for my fellow readers to navigate. I chose a background that was fun but not too overwhelming. I wanted the background to be appealing to the eye but at the same time I wanted the focus of the blog to be the writing. Hopefully as the blog progresses it will all come together and be easy and fun to use!

Title and Font: The title of my blog represents who I am and what I love to do. For me dancing is an art form and a way I can express myself. The title I chose not only represents me but also gives insight on how the blog will be talking about the arts at Penn State. For the title, I used a fun font that looked like dancing letters! It was easy to read, but at the same time illustrated my fun personality. For the rest of the blog I used a more standard font that was very easy to read.

About Me: In the about me section on the right hand side of the blog, I including a few things about my personality and what I love to do. I tried not to write too much because I wanted the focus of my blog to be more about my posts and I didn't want people to get too wrapped up in who I am. Hopefully by knowing a few things about me, the reader will continue to read my blog and not just focus on the about me section!