Blog Journal #6: Self Evaluation

1.

This semester in English 15S I learned how to meet with a group of random people selected for me and successfully complete a project with them. Never before have I been placed to work with individuals that I had never personally met before because in high school I knew everyone pretty well. Although I was nervous and worried at first it turned out that it was much easier to accomplish than I expected. I got along great with the people in my group and we even became friends in the process. We got our project done on time no problem and made it the best we possibly could with all of our brains put together.

On top of that I learned that going to a museum is not as boring as I always believed it to be because of English 15S. I would have never gone to the Palmer Museum here at Penn State if it were not for this class. By visiting it I realized that although I am not creative myself I could still enjoy looking at art created by other people. Viewing the art in this museum changed my perspective on museums because all of the museums that I have visited in the past with my parents did not appeal to me at all but the Palmer Museum did. I may have never gone to another museum in the future but as a result of going with my English class this year I most likely will now!

Throughout my four years at Penn State I probably would have not taken the time to visit the Arboretum either even though it is right down the road from my current dorm building. It was an amazing experience to get to walk around this beautiful garden with my classmates and teacher. As I was taking in the beauty of the plants and flowers around me I realized that, although I am not normally a nature lover, I could come to enjoy taking some time out of my day to appreciate it. This learning experience was extremely similar to that that I gained out of visiting the Palmer Museum. Through both I learned that it is not difficult to expand my hobbies and interests and try new things that I would normally try to avoid.

Lastly, what is an English class without learning about how to improve in one’s writing skills and techniques? I definitely learned about some tools for writing in my English 15S class this semester! Through this class I was taught how to shorten my sentences and make them more to the point in fewer words. I tend to make my sentences pretty lengthy so this benefitted me a lot. For example, I would normally write the sentence, “The boy opened up the closed container of pretzels.” In this sentence the word “closed” is not necessary because if the boy needs to open the container it was obviously closed in the first place. Therefore the sentence can really be written as, “The boy opened up the container of pretzels.” This sentence makes more sense and I am now able to realize that in my own writing.  

2.

1. State of the Arts- Palmer Museum Visit

2. http://bryancarse74.blogspot.com/2012/10/old-school-movie-review.html?showComment=1352583425281#c8017214528062096643

3. http://tarasaverageblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/arts-cultural-response-rock-vote-concert.html?showComment=1352583816870#c6143487765631198743

4. http://allisonmazzola.blogspot.com/2012/09/analysis-my-course-blog.html?showComment=1352584143515#c6795899955792436042

5. http://samanthamartinblogspot.blogspot.com/2012/09/palmer-museum-visit.html?showComment=1352584420417#c5239584678846301954

6. http://derosag5050.blogspot.com/2012/10/animal-house.html?showComment=1352584600166#c1211804657736258584

7. http://liddycoddington.blogspot.com/2012/09/blog-analysis.html?showComment=1352584840211#c1902398159627901843

8. The Persuasion of Art- Animal House Movie Review

9. http://curtincallblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/im-thinking-arbys.html?showComment=1352585485071#c5020829376231912963

10. http://artsfortheheart.blogspot.com/2012/09/building-blog-template-finding-perfect.html?showComment=1352585796563#c5293620523229160828

11. http://carascornerthearts.blogspot.com/2012/09/about-me-hello-im-cara-freshman-at-penn.html

12. http://bittyjade.blogspot.com/2012/11/in-show-in-red-andbrown-water-main.html?showComment=1353973633692#c6088313386401165502

3. Hi, Ms. S—I completed my SRTEs! 

Extra Blog Post #2

I am not a very creative or artistic person so having to make things from scratch usually does not appeal to me. For some reason, however, I have always wanted to try pottery although I have still never gotten the chance. I don't know if I would be good at it or not considering I am usually not talented when it comes to the arts but I think making pottery would be fun! It definitely looks hard when I watch other people do it so I know that I would not be able to successfully make pottery right from the start. In high school I tried to find an art class that I could take that would include making pottery but failed to find one. I am hoping that maybe a class here at Penn State does it that I would be able to take before graduating. If I am able to find a class that does I would first attempt to make a vase and then a bowl that my mom could put our dinner in. In my opinion pottery is clearly an art because the person making it can choose to design it in any shape or form he or she would like. People are able to express their emotions and thoughts through pottery making it an art as well.

Blog Journal #5: In the Red and Brown Water

The name of the main character in the play "In the Red and Brown Water" is Oya. At Penn State's Playhouse Theatre Oya was played by Dre Parker. The entire play focuses on Oya and her issues as she turns into a young woman showing her many struggles and decisions that need to be made. Oya is a high school track star who gives up an amazing offer of going to college on a scholarship to run in order to stay home and take care of her ill mother, Mama Moja. Plenty of boys wish for Oya to be theirs throughout the play including her neighbor Elegba, Ogun who has a stuttering problem and Shango who eventually becomes a soldier. After Mama Moja passes, Oya's godmother, Elegua, visits frequently and reminds her of how important her education is and that she should not be so wrapped up in finding a man. When Oya returns to tell the Man from State that she is ready to accept her scholarship now he breaks her the news that it is no longer there as an option for her and that he is sorry. This upsets Oya and she next agrees for Ogun to move in with her hoping to start a family, which is the complete opposite of what Elegba just recommended. She is clearly not happy with Ogun, however, so when Shango returns from fighting they have an affair. Neither boy can seem to get Oya pregnant for some odd reason. She withdraws herself and tells Ogun it is time for him to move on and find someone better for him. Soon after Oya finds out that a mean young woman named Shun is pregnant with Shango's baby. She goes inside her house to get a congratulations gift for Shango and returns bleeding as she hands him her ear that she just removed herself. 

What struck me as the most important thing about the story for Oya was the early death of her mother. I believe that if Mama Moja was not sick and getting ready to pass away Oya would have taken the scholarship to run, gone to college, not have worried over finding a man to have a baby with and not have gotten depressed. Mama Moja’s death pretty much determined the outcome of the rest of Oya’s life. Oya never ended up achieving what she originally set out to which was to be a top runner. Instead, she totally dropped running as a whole.

I was the most compelled by Ogun in the performance because he knew from the start that he wanted to be with Oya and did not give up on this. Although she wanted nothing to do with him in the beginning he was the one who ended up moving in with her later on in the play. He did his best to fix his problem of stuttering and was able to accomplish it just for her.

I cannot think of any critiques of the performance because I felt that it was excellent and enjoyed it very much. This was not my first time seeing a live theater performance either so I do have some experience. I have seen multiple other plays in New York City before. I think that this performance was not quite as good as those that I have seen in NYC but it did, impressively, come pretty close because the NYC plays are Broadway shows performed by all professionals. 

Extra Blog Post #1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv6PvH8hVKE

In my opinion the definition of art includes performance. I have been a cheerleader all of my life which means that I have been performing practiced routines in front of large crowds for years. When performing I do a skill called a backflip. A backflip is an art because it requires practice, is watched by others, and your body is bending and being positioned in unique ways that takes time and effort to perfect. Not everyone can just do a backflip. It took me millions of tries before I was able to say that I could successfully land a backflip all on my own. On top of that it cost a good amount of money to pay a coach to give me private lessons weekly. The video that I chose to use for my first chosen blog post teaches viewers what it takes to do a backflip which seems like a simple task but definitely is not. Once I accomplished it I was extremely proud of myself and knew that all of my hard work was worth it. It gave me a sense of confidence in a way that not many people can say they understand. The video is clear and to the point. I think it did a great job at exemplifying the art of doing a backflip and would recommend it to others who are interested in learning how to do one themselves.

Arts/Cultural Response: The Zac Brown Band Concert

            On Wednesday, October 10^th I went to see a famous country band, The Zac Brown Band, in concert. The concert started at 7pm and took place in the Bryce Jordan Center. I have been to numerous concerts before so this was not a new experience for me. In the past I have gone to concerts to see singers and performers such as Britney Spears, Kid Cudi, Kelly Clarkson, Avril Lavigne, The Jonas Brothers and more. This was even my second concert that I have been to just at Penn State! I was also lucky enough to attend a free concert not too long ago to see Jack Johnson here.

I went to the concert with a group of my friends and had an amazing time overall. We got lucky because once we got there we were upgraded to sit in Section 108 instead of our original seats in Section 208 that we had paid for. My absolute favorite part was when the band performed the song “Chicken Fried” because I listen to that song pretty much every single day. It was different to actually get to listen to it live and in person for a change! It was perfect because it was the final song that they played. As a result, everyone was even more excited when they finally heard the song start to begin. Along with “Chicken Fried” my other two favorite songs that they performed were “Toes” and “Knee Deep.”

Although there were a few songs that the band played that I did not recognize, they made time to fit in every song that I was hoping to hear so all of my friends and I were pleased. I would definitely pay to go to another concert to see The Zac Brown Band again. My expectations for the night were high, but The Zac Brown Band definitely lived up to them. If I could, I would do the night all over again!  

Blog Post #4: A Movie Review

“We lived on farms, then we lived in cities, and now we're going to live on the internet!” This quote is said by Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake) in the 2010 movie, “The Social Network.” Set in the notorious college Harvard, “The Social Network” shows the founding of the social networking website Facebook which people, especially college students now, tend to “live on” just as Sean Parker states.  

Actor Jessie Eisenberg plays Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, in this film. It is extraordinary to think that this now huge form of communication all started from this computer wizard of a college student being dumped by his girlfriend. This is exactly how the movie starts off. It is even more extraordinary to think that Mark Zuckerberg (Sean Parker) was criticized for this technological invention and had two lawsuits put against him for it, which are highlighted throughout the film. The film continuously portrays Sean’s growing and changing relationships as well with his girlfriend and business partners. We as viewers learn that the Facebook we visit today took time to get where it is and started off completely different. This film is directed toward anyone who currently has an account on or has heard of the social networking site, Facebook. This can include both men and women of all different ages. “The Social Network” has a large audience.

In order for a film to be a “good college movie” it needs to have well-known, experienced actors and actresses. “The Social Network” fulfills this requirement by starring Justin Timberlake as one of its main characters. Along with that a good college movie was most likely led by an excellent director. The director of “The Social Network,” David Fincher, is known for his dark and stylish thrillers. Another one of his more recent famous films was 2011’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” which can easily be accessed in various locations.

A movie needs to be the perfect length in order to be considered a “good college movie.” “The Social Network” is one hundred and twenty minutes, which I believe is the perfect amount of time. If a movie is too long the viewer may start to get bored by it and if it is too short the viewer may be itching for more and the movie may not be enough to therefore satisfy the viewer.

Lastly, a “good college movie” is relatable. I was easily able to connect to this movie because I have had a Facebook account of my own for years now. As the film illustrates, Mark Zuckerberg was inspired to make this website in order to rate the attractiveness of female students using photographs taken of girls from various universities. Although my intentions are not the same, I do use Facebook to look up pictures of people from all over whether it is people from home, my college, or strangers.

“The Social Network” was able to draw me in and keep me wanting to see what will happen next the entire movie. In order for me to fully comprehend it, however, I needed to watch it at least three times. That is one of the criticisms I had of this movie. Is it worth your time and do you care enough to do so? After being nominated for eight Academy Awards and winning three of them, I would say so!

Arts/Cultural Assignment #3: The Arboretum at Penn State

Although I am not a nature-lover, I really enjoyed our class trip to the Arboretum this past Monday. I find nature to be absolutely beautiful and inspiring however, I do not find myself spending a ton of time in and around it. One of the first things I saw when arriving at the Arboretum was this open floor with draping white curtains. I assumed that people paid good amount of money to have special ceremonies here such as a wedding and found it to be a gorgeous place for something like this. 

This was my first time to the Arboretum and I am glad that we had our English class there for the day because I do not think that I would have gone otherwise. I honestly did not even know it existed until I was told to meet there early that morning. Now that I have seen it once and experienced walking through all of the different scenery, I think that I will definitely go back at some point again. I would love to introduce my friends to it as well because I am pretty sure that they have not heard of it either and I find it to be one of the greatest spots at State College. This type of flower shown on the right was one of my favorites that I saw while walking around. The colors in it were what stood out to me.

As I was passing all of the benches and chairs within the Arboretum I kept telling myself that I should return to this gorgeous garden to get some peaceful time and clear my head. It is hard to find places like that in such a large and densely populated college like Penn State. I also thought about how I would not mind going back to get some schoolwork done at times before it starts getting too cold because I am used to being crammed in my small dorm room doing it.