Paper Snowflakes

Photo by Jackie Prozsynski

I think the art of folding and cutting paper snowflakes is a fun way for anyone to create art. You don't have to be a creative genius or talented artist to fold a piece of paper and cut random holes in it. Anyone old enough to use a pair of scissors can participate in paper snowflake creation.
This year my roommate and I decided we wanted to hang paper snowflakes from the ceiling of our dorm room. As decoration for the holiday, we already had icicle lights streaming across the ceiling over our beds; but we wanted more. One lazy Sunday we dug up scrap paper from our first semester classes that we would no longer be using. We turned on Christmas music and began to cut snowflakes.
Time flew by and after about two hours we had enough snowflakes to decorate about three dorm rooms. As we were unfolding our creations, I noticed that all of her snowflakes actually looked like snowflakes and were much prettier than mine. I got frustrated and tried to make new ones that looked more like hers. I asked her why mine were so ugly and hers were much better, and she just replied that none of them are better than others, they're just different. I was still unsatisfied with that answer, but as I started thinking I realized she was right.
My snowflakes didn't have to be perfect, the ones that fall from the sky aren't. Now that all of the paper snowflakes are hanging from our ceiling together, you can't even tell who made which ones. They're all beautiful in their own way, and together they make our room nice and cozy for the holiday season.

Self Reflection

This semester in English 15 went by quicker than I had ever imagined. It honestly seems like just a week ago I was getting up bright and early on the first Monday of classes to hike 20 minutes down to Willard at 9am. Although our time in class seems so short lived I have definitely learned a lot. Not only have my writing skills improved, but I have learned a lot about Penn State as a school, the arts in general and myself as a person.

         First off I would like to reflect on how my writing has changed. In the past I had only written papers on books or following specific analytical prompts given by my high school teachers. I had never really explored blog posting or memoir writing like I have in this class. I have actually found that I like writing like this a lot more than formal essay writing. There is more freedom of personal expression.

Before this class, I had never thought of my self as a creative person. My favorite subjects have always been math or science. Now, I realize that I can be creative in my own way. It doesn’t have to be a painting, sculpture or musical number to be considered “art”. I can write a memoir paper such as the one I have written for this class and consider it my own work of art. It is my storytelling, my expression. It is also very interesting to write about myself and past experiences in great detail. Realizing new things about myself and my personality everyday as I write is truly an exciting experience.

As I begin my life in this new place at Penn State, I have realized there is so much more this school has to offer than I though. I knew that there would be widely popular football games and a ton of new people to meet and hang out with outside of class. I did not realize I would be going to gardens, plays and museums as graded assignments. Although they were all mandatory, I enjoyed each new experience. Seeing In the Red and Brown Water, which featured my fellow Penn State classmates was really cool.

Some additional things that I have gotten out of my time in English 15S are friends. This class is my only one that is not a lecture of 150+ students where I walk in everyday and see a new, unfamiliar face. I think this class served as my comfort zone of familiarity as I eased into my new life at college. I could walk in the classroom every morning and know exactly whom I was going to see. Now, I know almost every person by name. Some people I have actually grown really close with over the semester and I’m sure our friendship will continue in the future.

At first I was nervous about having to take and English class because I was never confident in my writing skills. I always thought I was a bad writer and there was no way I could improve, that this class would just bring down my overall gpa. Surprisingly, throughout this course I have definitely gained confidence and acquired new skills that I will use in future writing assignments through the rest of my college years and beyond. I am glad I took this class and can’t wait for future experiences like this that lie ahead of me here at Penn State.

2. Blog Comments

Week 1: http://daniellegordonmartin.blogspot.com/2012/09/sarah-bernhardt.html#comment-form

Week 2: http://theartofanargument.blogspot.com/2012/09/blog-post-2-palmer-museum-visit.html?showComment=1348630940387#c2255204332524318897

Week 3: http://quirkyconfessional.blogspot.com/2012/09/flowers-on-flowers-on-flowers.html#comment-form

Week 4: http://imporvedartsmarts.blogspot.com/2012/10/social-network.html?showComment=1351606596823#c7296944938383463122

Week 5: http://rfatherly.blogspot.com/2012/10/scream-2-movie-review.html?showComment=1351607215902#c8078917695124635654

Week 6: http://jrose412.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-graduate-timeless-college-tale.html?showComment=1351608103501#c6990230260947451230

Week 7: http://jenniferlongdancingart.blogspot.com/2012/10/higher-learning-movie-review.html?showComment=1351608788618#c4577657166371114011

Week 8: http://haileyhere.blogspot.com/2012/11/in-red-and-brown-water.html?showComment=1354333123150#c3500854565630299080

Week 9: http://dcbornandraised.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-social-network.html?showComment=1354333707792#c5156198322682375007

Week 10: http://jenniferlongdancingart.blogspot.com/2012/11/catch-22-marathon-reading.html?showComment=1354334418961#c8788274161229308087

3. I completed my SRTEs!!

In The Red and Brown Water

Oya, a teenage girl living in the projects with her mother, Mama Moja, is the focus of this dramatic coming of age story. Oya is a runner and is fast enough to be offered a scholarship to run track and escape the poor life she lives. After making the decision to decline the opportunity, for the time being, she is forced to remain in her current life. As time goes on and her mother passes, Oya is in search of a man to impregnate her. A competition between two dominant male characters Shango, an arrogant military man and Ogun Size, a hard-working mechanic, ensues…but little does Oya know, she is infertile. The whole time she is following an impossible goal.

One thing about the story that I thought was most important was the fact that the women in the projects were looking to have children. If they were poor, why would they want more mouths to feed and bodies to shelter? Oya chases Shango who desires as the father of her child, but he constantly drifts in and out of her life as he gets deployed to her and returns home. She risks everything to be with him. In the end, she is devastated when she finds out he has impregnated another woman and she herself can never get pregnant. In the shocking final scenes of the play, Oya cuts off her very own ear, which Shango used to caress. Symbolically she is ridding herself of him completely, which ultimately causes her death as she bleeds from the wound.

In this performance, I actually found Elegba, a young man with a seemingly minor role in the story, to be most compelling. He is always in and out of the story with his wild and carefree attitude toward life. Even though he cannot afford food and rarely has a place to live, he remains enthusiastic at all times. When he is only 16 and finds out he has gotten a girl pregnant, he does not worry or panic, he excitedly welcomes the child into the world. Throughout the play, he is portrayed in a comedic style, but he is inspiring to Oya and others.

Overall, I thought the performance was well done. The characters were passionate and convincing. Also, the music, costumes and settings were interesting and appropriate. One thing about the play I thought was confusing was the random incorporation of modern dance/rap music into this serious story. It did not seem to fit in with the flow and overall themes of the play.

In the past, I have seen one or two live theatrical performances. This one was different though. It was a different type of story and performance. The cultural aspects of it, like when the characters are all united and singing in church on Sunday and the portrayal of their cultural family dynamics were very realistic and interesting. Previously I had only seen plays that were fairytales like Beauty and The Beast. This was different and sort of shocking at first with its eccentric storyline and colorful language. It was not what I was expecting at all, but after reflecting back on my experience, I think it was a good story and a great performance. 

Kickin' it Old School

“Frank the tank! Frank the tank!” cheered the guys and girls at the party as Frank (Will Ferrell) finished off a beer bong and proceeded to jerk his arms back and forth pretending to rapid-fire guns, like an army tanker.

Old School, a 2003 comedy film directed by Todd Phillips, is a movie depicting the party life of college students. It stars   Vince Vaughn, Will Ferrell and Luke Wilson as the three main characters, Bernard, Frank and Mitch respectively. These three actors all have a reputation of being successful and very funny men. With them as the main focus of Old School, the film turns out to be one of the few comedy films out there that is actually funny.

         The movie is centered around the three depressed, middle-aged men, Bernard, Frank and Mitch, who want to relive their college years. It begins with a break-up between Mitch and his girlfriend, which prompts him to go house hunting. He finds a suitable home just off of a college campus and the guys decide to throw a house warming party so they can invite college students. The party consists of loud music featuring famous rapper Snoop Dogg, dirty grind dancing and binge drinking by means of drinking games and devices.

The morning after the party, the dean of the university threatens eviction and the guys realize the only way for Mitch to keep the house is to become a fraternity. Thus, they recruit rushes and then select pledges. The pledge class consists of everyone from a nerdy college guy to an extremely overweight boy to a very old man named Blue, who doesn’t even attend the university. Sadly, during Blue’s birthday celebration he dies after seeing two topless women. Even at Blue’s funeral, the stupidity and humor seen throughout the movie does not stop as Frank shouts obnoxiously “You’re my boy Blue” over the musical performance.

There is little to no mention of academics or schoolwork in the movie, which is unrealistic of college life. Overall, the film sort of mocks fraternity life and insults college students in general as they are portrayed as nothing but drunken crazy people. It is offensive, but meant purely for amusement.

         Although the goal of the film is to be a satirical depiction of college party and fraternity life, the basic ideas behind it are realistic. Partying, frat life and hazing pledges are all activities that do exist in the real world. College age students and even those just out of college would certainly enjoy this movie. The plotline is downright stupid; but it is extremely funny and entertaining.

Adventures at the Arboretum

Monday mornings are my absolute least favorite of any mornings. The weekend is over and I have to get up and begin the week, knowing there are five long days of class ahead of me. At 9am every Monday I usually roll out of bed and drag myself on a 20-minute walk to English class. But one day, we went on an adventure to the Penn State Arboretum instead.

I woke up and stumbled down Bigler road in the soggy grass, wet from morning dew. I had never been to the gardens before, so I had no idea what to expect, but as soon as I began to see the flowers I knew this Monday would be better than most. Typically, I am not the outdoorsy type. I don’t like grass or dirt or bugs or outdoor smells at all. Usually flowers aren’t even appealing to me. But contrary to my expectations, I was breath taken from the moment I arrived at this Arboretum.

The cool, fresh morning air and bright sunshine set an optimistic mood right from the start. As I began my walk through the arboretum, I ventured off in a different direction than my fellow classmates. I went straight for the giant sunflowers. They reminded me so much of Halloween at home. Every year my parents, brother and I would go to a farm about 25 minutes away from my house and we would pick our pumpkins to carve. The farm has corn mazes, hayrides, horses and a giant sunflower garden. I remember when I was little, about 7 or 8 years old the sunflowers looked like they were 20 feet tall. Now, seeing the same type of sunflowers at the Penn State Arboretum, I noticed that they were only about 6 feet tall, reaching barely above my head. It was incredible to look at the sunflowers, arched into the blue, cloudy fall morning sky and have such a vivid, warm childhood memory.

As I continued my walk around the arboretum, I was very relaxed and felt alone with my thoughts as I traveled through my brightly colored surroundings. Purple, white, yellow, pink, orange and red, the flicks of color switched every 20 or so feet as I walked. Again, this reminded me of home. I have a large two-acre yard that my family always hand gardens. We make several trips a year to Waterloo Gardens down the road and select which types of flowers and colors we want to surround our home. I recognized some of the flowers from my planting experience at home.

A third spot at the arboretum that really struck me were the two red lawn chairs sitting just off of the pathway. They, too, reminded me of home. I have two similar lawn chairs in my backyard, but they are white. It is very enjoyable to sit out in the lawn, look at the garden and occasionally read a book. I imagine it would be very nice to do so at the Penn State Arboretum as well.
Overall, I thought the garden was very beautiful and it was a great start to my Monday morning. I definitely preferred venturing through the garden to sitting in a stuffy classroom! I hope other students have the experience of going to visit the garden, I’m glad I did.

Arts/Cultural Response: Jack Johnson

Nationally famous singer/songwriter Jack Johnson was recently featured at the Eisenhower Auditorium here on the Penn State campus. The event was called “Rock the Vote” which was a free show sponsored by the Student Programming Association (SPA). The goal of the event was to bring performers who would attract many students because outside of the concert, SPA members were walking around the ticket line in hopes of convincing students to register to vote here on campus for the upcoming 2012 presidential election. Performances from ALO, G. Love and Jack Johnson began at 7pm on Wednesday, September 19. 

ALO

G. Love (Garrett Dutton)

Jack Johnson

The doors opened at 6pm and nearly 2,000 students began trickling into the auditorium. By 7:00, it appeared as if the upper and lower levels of the venue were both jam packed, filling the auditorium to its capacity. I was seated on the lower, stage level section about 30 rows back and slightly left of center stage. First, a California rock band called ALO (Animal Liberation Orchestra) took the stage. I had never heard of them before this, but I ended up really enjoying their performance. Their smooth rock rhythms captured the entire audience, lifelong fans and newcomers alike. Their song titled “Roses and Clovers” was my personal favorite performance by them, as I found my self naturally swaying to this tune.

Up next was Garrett Dutton, better known as G. Love, a singer/songwriter from a neighborhood just outside of Philadelphia (my hometown). He also plays the guitar and is specially known for his talent on the harmonica, which is featured in many of his songs. Ever since I first saw G. Love open for a concert back in Philly in 2009, I began to listen to his music. I have learned to love his hip-hop/blues music and his performance at the Eisenhower blew me away. When he first walked onstage and greeted us in the audience, chills ran through my entire body. His voice live through the microphone was exactly how it sounds in his recorded songs, but better. G. Love was merely 50 feet away from me. All of the songs he performed were captivating, especially the ones in which he played his harmonica, because it is a unique talent that was very intriguing to view and hear. My favorite song performance by him was “Booty Call.” During this song I could really feel his fun-loving personality and sense his passion for his music.

Finally, the main act, Jack Johnson took the stage. When he first walked out the guys in the crowd roared and cheered and the girls screamed and squealed. Jack is a famous, award-winning musician from Hawaii. His acoustic and soft rock songs appeal to a wide range audience, especially adolescents because he sings a lot about young love and youthful fun. Every song he played from beginning to the encore that followed was greeted and supported enthusiastically by the audience. Everyone around me (myself included) stood with a smile on their face, singing along when they knew the words and clapping along even when they didn’t. My favorite song by Jack is “Better Together” which happened to be the final song he played at the concert. It was absolutely breathtaking. The entire time I imagined that he was singing directly towards me and nobody else was around.

Overall this concert was an incredible experience. It was unique compared to other musical performances I have been to in the past, usually I go see country or techno concerts. I definitely enjoyed this experience just as much, maybe even more. It was relaxing and fun at the same time. I would definitely go again if I could, and I’d recommend others to attend as well!

“Roses and Clovers” by ALO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Btm1OFAqn34

“Booty Call” by G. Love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTCsE8crK0Q

“Better Together” by Jack Johnson

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

Palmer Museum of Art

The painting Affirmative Action, 1987 by Jerry Kearns depicts a hardworking woman with a city backdrop. She is painted in black and white, which contrasts with the bright yellow and red city in the back. This piece was created in America in the late 1980’s during a time industrialization and cultural transition from traditional society to a more modern day society not unlike ours today. Music and television became more mainstream and traditional household and workplace roles disintegrated. This piece, Affirmative Action, illustrates the empowerment of women. Previously, women served as housewives to cook, clean and raise children, but in the late 1900’s their roles began to change. They were not only able to hold the same jobs as men, but many wanted to. Women of the late 1900’s strived for gender equality in society and the workplace and the path to achieving this equal treatment was not easy.

         The painting shows a hardworking woman shoveling with a stern, look on her face yet she is wearing a dress and high heels. This image shows the determination of women to break free of traditional values and customs of society. Personally, I think this painting relates not only to the affirmative action and goals of women in the past, but to our present day society as well. America remains slightly male dominant. Our country has never had a female president and even in the common workplace, women are sometimes (not always of course, I am just saying there is a hint of sexism still out there today) viewed as inferior to men. For instance, when I tell people I want to be an accountant, sometimes I get funny looks because accounting was traditionally a man’s job.

         It is definitely appropriate that the image of this woman working in a dress is juxtaposed against the colorful city. The audience is given a direct comparison and can easily understand what the artist, Jerry Kearns, is trying to articulate through his work. He is an American contemporary artist who is very engaged with social issues. The use of the huge canvas and comic book looking artwork of the Affirmative Action painting encompasses many of his personal artistic styles seen throughout his other works of art. Also, his use of a huge canvas for the painting shows that this issue is of significant importance.

         I have been to many art museums before, in Philadelphia, Washington, Italy and Spain, but his was my first time at the Palmer Museum of Art and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is actually one of my favorites so far. I loved the huge variety of different types of art from all different time periods ranging from very old sculptures to modern day paintings. It was difficult to choose just one piece to write about; I walked around for a while first, just exploring my different options. This painting of the woman struck me because I myself am a hardworking woman. It reminded me of myself, the history of my country and made me feel grateful about where I am today and everything I have accomplished thus far.